The Wish
by the dork knight
Summary: Entered into the tournament and feeling abandoned, Harry Potter uses a special wishing stone that had been given to him by a mysterious old woman. What does he wish for and how will his wish change the course of history?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I am but a humble fan playing in someone else's sandbox. I make no money from this. All rights belong to their respective copyright holders.

 **The Wish**

 **Written by: The Dork Knight**

 **Chapter One**

The Quidditch World Cup, one of, if not _the_ , biggest event in the wizarding world. It brings around all sorts of witches and wizards from all corners of the globe as they come to cheer for their favorite teams, see old friends and meet new ones, and to sell their wares from various stands set up all over the vast camp grounds and pathways leading to the stadium.

It is at one of the more nondescript stands that our curious little tale begins.

A little old woman sat in an overstuffed armchair that looked to be older than she was, next to a stand that had no sign indicating what she was selling in the various old trunks piled nearby. She didn't even seem to care about any of the people that passed her by. That is until three young teens started past, one of them carrying a bucket.

"You, young man," she said, jumping out of her chair with a speed that defied her age, and rushed over to them. "You have a touch of destiny about you."

"Um… okay," said a confused Ron.

"Not you, you simpleton," the old woman said, and then looked at Harry. "You."

"Me?" asked Harry.

"Of course, you," she said. "You have trials and hardships ahead of you."

Hermione couldn't help but scoff and rolled her eyes as the woman reminded her of Professor Trelawney.

The woman stared at Harry for a moment, making the young wizard feel very uncomfortable, which only increased when she started sniffing him a couple of times.

"Stay here," she finally said. "I have something for you… Something special."

The old woman patted Harry's arm before she turned around and walked over to the pile of trunks, which she then began searching through, tossing various items and knick-knacks aside.

"Think we should stay?" asked Ron.

"She creeps me out," Harry said. "I think we should go."

"I agree," said Hermione.

And with that decided, the three friends quickly and quietly snuck away to continue on their trek to find the waterspout.

"Was it just me, of was that woman mental?" asked Ron.

"Ronald," Hermione snapped at him. "That isn't a nice thing to say about someone."

"What?" asked Ron, getting a bit defensive. "It's not my fault she's a nutter."

"Still, you don't have to be rude and insulting about it," said Hermione.

The two of them continued to bicker and argue as they made their way through the maze of tents until they finally found the long line of people waiting to fill buckets with water.

"Why are we even waiting here?" Ron asked.

"And what do you think we should do?" asked Hermione. "Push our way past everyone while pointing out we're with Harry?"

"That could work," said Ron, earning disapproving looks from both Harry and Hermione. He then quickly backpedaled and said, "I wasn't going to suggest that. I'm just wondering why dad sent us for water when he could have easily conjured it. Or Bill. Or Charlie. Or Percy… Well, no. Not Percy. He'd make us go fetch it in a pail because he's a git."

"Wow Ron," Harry said, a surprised look on his face. "That actually made sense."

Ron smiled and puffed out his chest a bit.

"I do have my moments, you know," the red head said.

"Yeah, about as often as Snape doesn't treat me unfairly," said Harry with a smile and earning a slight chuckle from Hermione as Ron deflated.

"I thought I said to wait."

All three of them jumped as the old woman appeared next to them from out of nowhere.

"I distinctly remember telling you to wait while I got something for you," the old woman continued. "Something that you would find very useful. But instead you left. Walked away. Think I'm barmy, my guess."

"What, no," Harry quickly said.

"Of course you do," the old woman said, waving his denial off. "Everyone believes me to be unhinged. It's fine though. Doesn't bother me none. Here…"

The old woman took Harry's hand and placed a small lump of stone in it.

"What is it?" asked Harry as he looked at the nondescript stone in his hand.

"That, my boy, is a wishing stone," the old woman said. "Very old and very rare. Made long ago by a very powerful witch, who infused the stone with pure magic, allowing any one single wish to come true, no matter what it is."

"Sure," Hermione skeptically said. "And just how much is it going to cost?"

"Cost?" the old woman asked, sounding offended. "This is priceless."

"Fine," Hermione said. "So _what_ will it cost?"

"Nothing," the old woman said, surprising the three of them, especially the bushy haired witch. "As I said, the young man has a touch of destiny about him."

"How do I use it?" asked Harry as he looked at the plain looking stone.

"When the time is right, you'll know," the old woman said before disapparating away.

The three of them stood there in stunned silence for a moment.

"Okay, anyone else weirded out by what just happened?" asked Ron.

"A little," said Harry.

"A load of rubbish if you ask me," Hermione finally said. "Just a silly rock. Muggles had a fascination with them back in the seventies. People actually bought them as pets."

"Rocks as pets?" asked Ron. "Bloody mental."

"Language Ronald," Hermione said.

As the two of them started arguing again, Harry just slowly shook his head as he moved forward with the line and unconsciously slipped the stone into his pocket.

Back at the stand, the woman appeared and looked around with a satisfied smile on her face. With a simple wave of her hand, the stand and the various trunks vanished in a flash of light. She then looked back in the direction where she knew the three young teens were standing.

"Enjoy my gift to you… Harry Potter," she said before vanishing in a flash of light.

OoOoOoOoOoO

It was nearing midnight on Halloween as Harry sat in his four poster bed in the forth year boys dormitory of Gryffindor tower, replaying the events of the night in his head.

Things had started out normal. Well, as normal as they could be in a castle full of magical beings. Just like everyone else, he waited with baited breath for the three Tri-Wizard champions to be named. He had cheered with everyone else when Cedric Diggory from Hufflepuff had been named the Hogwarts champion, and was very happy for them since their house was usually the butt of many jokes in the castle.

It was shortly after that when things went downhill as his name had come out of the Goblet of Fire.

To say that Harry was surprised by this would be an understatement to how he had felt at that moment. He could remember the accusatory looks and the whispered comments as he made his way up to the front of the Great Hall in a daze, having trouble believing that what had happened actually had happened. After being questioned, insulted, questioned again, and a few more insults slung his way, Harry was informed that since his name had come out of the Goblet of Fire, he had no choice but to compete.

At first, Harry had thought he had found a loophole in that and said that he would compete, but only just barely. Cedric cocked his eyebrow questioningly at Harry when he heard that and began to wonder if the forth year was actually telling the truth about not entering or even wanting to be in the tournament.

Unfortunately, that idea was quickly squashed when Harry was informed that if he did not try his best in each task, the magic from the Goblet would view that as breaking the magically binding contract, and penalize him accordingly.

It only got worse when he finally returned to the Gryffindor common room. Everyone was congratulating him and asking how he managed to get into the tournament. He had tried to tell everyone that he didn't as well as how Professor Moody suspected that someone entered him with the plan that Harry would be killed during one of the three tasks, yet none of them listened. It also didn't help when Ron, his best friend since they had met on the Hogwarts Express at the beginning of their first year, refused to believe Harry about it. He even went as far as calling Harry a backstabber for not letting him in on how he had done it and letting him try it as well.

Hermione had been nowhere to be found, and he wondered if she believed that he had entered his name as well and had turned her back to him.

For the first time in the past few years since he had come to Hogwarts and met his two best friends, did he feel alone. It was just like those days living with the Dursley's before Hagrid had brought him his Hogwarts letter.

It was then, during his moment of sorrow and loneliness, that he suddenly remembered something he had completely forgotten about since the day of the World Cup.

The wishing stone.

Quickly jumping out of bed, Harry opened his trunk and dug through his belongings until he found what he was looking for.

He pulled the plain looking stone out from the bundle of socks he had wrapped it in and held it in his hand. Unfortunately for the messy haired wizard, he didn't know what he should wish for.

Should he wish to no longer be in the tournament? He wasn't even sure it would work against the magic of the Goblet of Fire, as its magic might be too powerful for the wishing stone to break.

Should he wish for Ron to believe him? Looking over at his first friend, he quickly decided not to do it. While he would love nothing more than for Ron to believe him, he wouldn't force his will upon him to do so.

Turning the stone over in his hand a few times as he looked around the room, his eyes fell upon a photo on the table next to his bed, and he instantly knew what he wanted more than anything else in the world.

"I wish my parents were alive," Harry quietly said.

Looking at the stone, he had expected some grand burst of magical energy to explode from the rock. Instead it just crumbled into dust.

Harry let out a small chuckle and then sighed as he said, "I should've known it was too good to be true."

Slowly, he got back into the bed and drew the curtains shut around him before spending the new few hours staring up at the canopy above him before falling asleep.

OoOoOoOoOoO

From somewhere on high, a small ball of light began to float down towards the Earth and to a small village known as Godric's Hallow.

Thankfully by this time, it was after midnight and no one was around, or even up. Well, aside from Bathilda Bagshot, who despite being well over 150 years old, was still up burning both ends of the candle as she worked on her latest edit on the next edition of _Hogwarts, A History_.

Slowly, the ball of light made its way through the village until it came to the small graveyard behind the church where the ball of light morphed until it was the old woman that had given Harry the wishing stone.

The old woman made her way through the graveyard until she found what she was looking for, and held her hands out in front of her.

It was a good thing no one was up and around, for if they were, they surely would have come running to see what the bright flashes of light that where coming from the graveyard.

"Wish granted," the old woman said as the lights faded and she lowered her hands before disappearing, leaving the sleeping and very much alive bodies of James and Lily Potter on the ground above where they had once been laid to rest.

OoOoOoOoOoO

 **A/N:** My first published work since my recent return. I wasn't planning on posting anything so soon, but all the well wishes everyone has given me just gave me the drive to post something for everyone to enjoy. This was one of the first ideas for a new story that popped into my head when I decided that I would start writing again. I've always wanted to do a story where Harry had his parents, but I just couldn't think of how. My original idea was Dumbledore traveled to an alternate reality where they lived, but Harry died that night along with Voldemort. No matter how I tried to write it, it just never felt right.

So I set the idea aside for a couple of days, and then like all my good ideas, it came to me while I was on the toilet. Bring them back from the dead using magic. But not just any magic. Really old magic that has long been lost to the world. Magic that only some very powerful being remembers. Then I get to play with the idea of them being out of time and suddenly going from parents with a one year old to them a few hours later, being the parents of a teenager.

Obviously, there will be a little friction between the three of them at first. James and Lily will have to deal with the issues of no longer being dead, and Harry is going to have to understand what it means to have an actual family that loves him.

Anyways, enough of my internal thought process for this story. R&R if you wish. I love to hear what everyone thinks so far. Good or bad.

TDK


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

"HARRY!" Lily screamed out as she sat up very quickly, causing her red hair to fly up over her head and into her face.

Her sudden exclamation as she woke up, also had the effect of waking her recently resurrected husband.

"WHA?!" he said as he sat up and looked around.

Both of them were silent as they took in their surroundings and tried to figure out what had just happened, as they were both feeling groggy and disoriented.

"James?" Lily asked uncertainly.

"Yes Lil's?" said James.

"What just happened?" she asked and wondered just what they were doing in the cemetery. The last thing she remembered was standing in Harry's room between her son and the bastard that wanted to kill him.

"I have no idea," said James, who was also confused as to why he was no longer in the living room of his home, where to him, he had just been dueling against Voldemort as he tried to give his wife and son enough time to escape.

As Lily started to unsteadily get to her feet, she suddenly fell back down to her knees when she caught site of the headstones.

"This… This can't be right," she said.

"What can't be right?" asked James as he turned to see what his wife was looking at. "Oh, bloody hell."

So much in shock was Lily at what she was looking at, she didn't even bother reprimanding her husband for his language.

"We died," Lily stated as the memory of the killing curse flashing towards her resurfaced. "Oh, gods… Harry."

Lily started looking around, expecting to find the grave of her son near by. She got to her feet and ran around the graveyard, going from headstone to headstone, dreading the moment she was sure to come when she found it and wondering why he hadn't been buried with them. There was also a small part of her that was hoping that he had also somehow returned to the land of the living as well.

"He's not here," she finally said. "James, I can't find him. I can't find our son anywhere. Why isn't he here?"

"Lil's, calm down," James said as he pulled his slightly panicked wife into a hug. "Maybe Harry didn't die that night."

"What do you mean?" she asked. "He was just a baby… Without us there, that bastard surely must have…"

Lily then broke down into tears.

"I managed to send off a quick Patronus message to Padfoot as you ran upstairs with Harry," James said as he consoled the love of his life. "Just before he burst through the door. I'm sure the mutt arrived just in time to save our boy. That's why he isn't here."

"I hope so," Lily said as she managed to stop crying. "Because if not, there is only one other possibility, and I dread to even think of it being a possibility."

James nodded his head in understand, for it was something that entered his mind as well in the past few minutes. That Voldemort did not kill their son, but instead took him and raised him as his own. He shuddered to think of how his boy would have grown up being brought up by that sick and sadistic bastard.

"Come on," James said as he rubbed her back. "We're still in Godric's Hallow. Let's head up to the house and see if we can find out just how long we've been gone."

Lily only nodded her head as she and her husband left the cemetery and made their way down the road to the home they had made together. They were silent the whole way until their house came into view and Lily let out a gasp.

There before them was their home with a portion of the roof and wall where Harry's bedroom had been now missing. The grass was overgrown and vines were crawling up the walls.

Lily started to cry again as James held her. He wanted to break down into tears as well, but knew that at least one of them needed to be strong if they were going to get through this.

The two of them remained like that for nearly ten minutes before James noticed the sign in front of the house.

"Well I'll be a Hippogriff's arse," James said as he let go of his wife and walked over to the sign.

"James?" Lily asked, wondering what was going on.

In response, he just smiled and motioned her to him and then pointed at the sign.

"Look," he said.

Lily looked at the sign that he been erected, but quickly dismissed what had been engraved into it in favor of the personal messages people had written.

"Does this mean he's alive?" Lily asked, her voice full of hope.

"I think so," James said.

Lily started to cry again, however this time they were tears of joy that her little man was out there somewhere.

"I just hope that Padfoot hasn't moved from his flat," said James. "If he has, I guess we'll have to track him down."

"If he did, I'm sure Albus will know where to," said Lily.

After taking one last look at what remained of their home, the two of them disappeared away from Godric's Hallow and reappeared in a small alley in the middle of London. They walked the couple of blocks to the building that Sirius had moved into shortly before James and Lily had gotten married, and up the three flights of stairs until they came to the door where he lived and knocked.

"I wonder how bad things have gotten with the war," James wondered out loud.

"No idea," answered Lily. "I just hope that it's close to an end, if it isn't over already."

"You think we've been gone long enough for it to have ended?" asked James.

"Honestly, I don't know," said Lily. "We could have been gone for months or even years."

"Years," James breathed out. He hoped it wasn't that long. He didn't want to miss his son growing up and miss out on all of the things he wanted to teach him. Like how to ride a broom.

Suddenly, the door opened and a slightly upset man in his late twenties or early thirties stood there in a pair of boxers.

"What?" he growled at them.

James chuckled nervously for a moment. "Sorry," he said. "I think we might have the wrong place. Do you know if Sirius Black lives around here?"

"Never heard of him," the man said before he started to close the door.

"He used to live here," Lily said. "Do you know when he moved away?"

The man stopped closing the door and said, "I've lived here for about thirteen years now, so obviously a while ago. Now, if you'll excuse me, I am going back to sleep, and if you knock on my door again in the middle of the night, I'll put you in the hospital."

He then slammed the door closed on James and Lily.

"Thirteen years," James said, the surprise evident in his tone. "We've been gone for at least thirteen years."

"We missed him growing up most of his life," Lily said, also sounding surprised and a little bit depressed.

"Thirteen years," James repeated.

"Sweetie, focus," said Lily. "Yes, this… Well, honestly, it sucks. A lot. But right now, we know where Harry will be right now."

"We do?" asked James.

"There are Halloween decorations around," Lily pointed out. "Which means it's at least close to the day."

"And if it's really been thirteen years, that would mean Harry would be at Hogwarts," James said with a smile.

"I knew I didn't just marry you for your looks," Lily said before giving her husband a quick kiss. "Now… Let's go and see our son and find out what we've missed."

"A galleon says he's on the Quidditch team for whatever house he's in," James said as they apparated away.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Despite the late hour, Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, was still up as he paced around his office, deep in thought.

The events of the night truly disturbed and puzzled the aged wizard as he tried to put the pieces of the puzzle together while still missing so many of the pieces.

Occasionally, he would stop by his desk and use his wand to pull a memory from his head, which he then placed into the Pensieve on his desk before continuing his pacing for a moment before he stopped and lowered his face into the silvery liquid.

Dumbledore stood off to the side of the Great Hall as he watched the events from earlier in the night take place, hoping to spot some clue that would help him to find out who had put Harry's name in the Goblet of Fire.

His first suspect was Igor Karkaroff, the head of Durmstrang. However, the man had a genuine look of surprise and a hint of anger on his face when Harry's name had come out. So either the man was a very good actor, or he had nothing to do with it.

His next suspect was Severus Snape. While he did trust the man, he also knew of his hatred of Harry due to his feelings towards the young man's father and would not put it past him to try something like this in order to humiliate the son of his rival. However, the unhappy sneer on the potions masters face told that he was not pleased with this.

His third suspect had been Draco Malfoy, who had earned a place as Harry's nemesis since their meeting on the Hogwarts Express at the beginning of their first year. Dumbledore would not have put it past the young heir to the house of Malfoy to convince one of the older students in his house to place Harry's name into the Goblet. Yet much like his head of house, he had an unpleasant sneer on his face.

For over an hour, Dumbledore walked around as the memory played itself over and over again in the hopes of finding out if he could discover who had placed Harry's name into the Goblet. However, his search was for naught, as everyone was either very surprised or upset with what had happened, and so he left the memory and returned to his office.

"Whoever placed Harry's name is leaving me no trail to follow," Dumbledore said to his pet phoenix, Fawkes, who trilled back in response.

"Oh, I agree," said Dumbledore. "And Alastor does as well. But the rules clearly state that neither myself, nor any of my staff can help Harry with these tasks."

Fawkes trilled again, this time in what sounded like a condescending tone.

"I have no doubt the other schools will find some way around the rules," answered Dumbledore. "However, as the Headmaster of the hosting school, I am more bound by the rules than they are."

"Excuse me Headmaster," a portrait of a gargoyle said. "But you have a pair of visitors asking for admittance."

Dumbledore pulled out his pocket watch that had many hands on it and obviously made sense to him.

"A little late for visitors," Dumbledore said. "Who are they?"

"James and Lily Potter," said the portrait.

Dumbledore silently stared at the portrait for nearly a minute as a million thoughts ran through his head. One of which was that whomever was waiting to see him wasn't the departed parents of Harry Potter, but imposters using some magical way to impersonate them, and more than likely had some connection to Harry's name coming out of the Goblet of Fire. Whoever they were, he believed that they must be working with the shade of Voldemort or just former Death Eaters looking for revenge. What better time for Harry's parents to miraculously return from the dead than when he needed them the most.

"Should I let them up or inform them to return at another time?" asked the portrait of a gargoyle.

"No, no," said Dumbledore. "Allow them to come up."

The portrait nodded before going completely still as Dumbledore pulled out his wand and used it to lower the lights in his office so it was dimly lit except for the light coming from the fireplace.

There was a knock at the door before it slowly opened and James and Lily walked in.

"Albus?" Lily called out.

"That's far enough," Dumbledore said from the shadows, his wand pointed at the two of them. "I am not sure how you managed to make a polyjuice potion for those forms considering that the Potter's have been dead for far too long for their hairs to remain viable, but you are entirely foolish to think whatever your plan is would work. Now, if you would be so kind as to relinquish your wands."

"We don't have our wands," James said.

"We'll see about that," said Dumbledore. "Accio wands."

Nothing happened.

"I see," Dumbledore said. "If you think coming here without your wands will cause me to lower my guard and allow you access to Harry, you are sadly mistaken."

"Albus, it's us," Lily said. "I don't know how we're alive again, but we are. We woke up on the ground in front of our graves just a little over an hour ago with no idea of the passage of time or where we were before coming back. I swear, the last thing I remember before waking up is Voldemort casting the killing curse at me as I tried to protect Harry."

"While it is a nice try, everyone knows of the story of that night and how you sacrificed yourself to save your son," Dumbledore said.

"What about how Wormtail was our secret keeper," said James. "We let everyone believe that it was Sirius, but in fact made it Peter so no one would suspect him."

"Except for the fact that I already know that Mr. Pettigrew betrayed the Potter's to Voldemort," said Dumbledore. "I discovered it thanks to Harry and his friends, who found out after Sirius escaped from Azkaban when he discovered that Pettigrew was still alive and had been hiding for the past many years in his animagus form."

"Peter betrayed us?" asked James, the hurt in his voice quite evident. When Voldemort had shown up at their home that night, he had believed that Wormtail had been found out, captured and tortured till he gave up the secret. Never in his worst dreams would he suspect that a fellow Marauder would turn against the rest and side with the Dark Lord.

"Indeed," said Dumbledore. "Which he could have easily told you when he managed to escape before being found out by the rest of the world. Now, if you are through, would you kindly please take a seat while I send Fawkes with a message to Moody, who will summon the aurors and have you arrested."

"You were there when I found out I was pregnant," Lily suddenly said.

"I beg your pardon?" asked Dumbledore.

"It was early November," Lily said. "James, Sirius, and I were following up on a tip you had received from someone that Death Eaters were targeting Ollivander. We got there at the same time they did and there was a fight where I took a cutting curse to my arm. Once we managed to drive them away, James rushed me back here to the castle, and Poppy healed me up because he's always been rubbish with healing spells and it was my wand arm that had been cut, making it almost impossible for me to heal it properly without leaving a scar. When she was running a few diagnostic spells on me, just to be sure that there was nothing else wrong, she found out that I was a few weeks pregnant with Harry, and told me and James just as you walked in."

"You were happy for us," James said, picking up where his wife had left off. "But at the same time, I could tell something was troubling you, but figured it had to be the war. Then shortly after Harry was born, you told us about the prophecy and how there was a chance that it involved our son, and that we should be prepared to go into hiding, just in case Voldemort ever found out. The following summer, you told us that it was time for us to go because Voldemort had marked our son for death."

Dumbledore stared at the two of them for a moment before he slowly lowered his wand.

"James?" he asked. "Lily?"

"It's us Albus," Lily said with a soft smile. "How we're back, we don't know. But it really is us."

OoOoOoOoOoO

 **A/N:** Two things to touch on real fast. First, updates. I plan on posting every other week (hopefully on Monday's). I've set aside a little time each day for writing, and this release schedule will allow me to make sure that I not only have something to post on a regular basis, but to hopefully also remain a chapter or two ahead. I don't want to fall back into that habit of randomly posting updates whenever like I used to. Though, if one of those Monday's goes by, and you haven't seen an update or new story posted, be sure to check my profile page, as I will try to leave a note there as to what's going on.

And second, a huge thank you to everyone that has sent me well wishes for what's been going on with my life. Even the simplest "Glad you're back" has helped lift my spirits even more and made me glad that I decided to return. You all are just a huge ball of awesomeness.

Anyways, next chapter, James and Lily learn about a little of what has gone on since they died. Plus, Harry finds out his parents are back.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Albus Dumbledore had had many surprising moments in his long life. His friend Grindelwald turning against him. Severus Snape coming to him and betraying Voldemort. The day he found out that his friend Nicolas had successfully made a Philosopher's Stone. However, they all paled in comparison to the one he was currently experiencing.

James and Lily Potter returning from the dead.

"This… This…" Dumbledore said, trying to find the words.

"Yeah, tell me about it," said James with his usual grin. "But somehow we're alive again." His grin then faded as his face took on a serious look. "Now, what's this about Sirius being in Azkaban?"

Dumbledore cleared his throat as he made his way over to the cabinet where he kept a bottle of Ogden's Finest and poured himself a glass as he said, "Yes well… Everyone believed he was your secret keeper. Myself included since you so adamantly insisted that you cast the spell yourselves. So, after Voldemort had come to your home, we all believed Sirius had betrayed you. Especially since he had just supposedly blasted Peter into nothingness along with a dozen muggles."

"He did what?" James and Lily asked at the same time as Dumbledore quickly downed his drink, steam escaping from his ears and burped out a small bit of fire.

"He didn't really," Dumbledore quickly said as he set his glass down. "You see, earlier this year, I found out the truth. It seems that when Sirius had cornered Peter, he cut his finger off and cast a blasting spell towards a group of muggles. He didn't know that a gas line just happened to run under the ground where he cast the spell. In the resulting chaos, he transformed into his animagus form and escaped. When the aurors arrived, Sirius was hysterical. And as I said, with everyone believing he was your secret keeper, he was sent directly to Azkaban without a trial. Something I am ashamed of to this day."

"Wait a minute," said Lily. "If Sirius was in Azkaban until last year, who has been looking after Harry?"

"Well, obviously he made arrangements with Moony," said James. "Right?"

"Not exactly," said Dumbledore.

"The Longbottom's then?" asked Lily.

"They were… Unavailable to care for him," Dumbledore said, not believing it was his place to tell them what had happened to Frank and Alice two days after they had died.

"Surely you didn't put him with the Weasley family," said James. "As much as I like Arthur, Molly can be a huge pain in the…"

"James," Lily said warningly.

"Sorry," James sheepishly said. "But you know I'm right."

"Not the Weasley's either," Dumbledore said.

"Then who?" asked Lily.

"I placed him with family," Dumbledore said.

"Family?" said Lily. "But, my parents as well as James' parents were already dead. The only other family…"

Lily's eyes widened almost comically, and would have been if not for the look of rage building on her face. Her ears quickly matching the color of her hair.

"You didn't?" she asked. "Tell me you did not leave my son with _her_?"

Realization dawned on James' face as well, and he was visibly becoming upset as well.

"You left our son with that… That… Bitch?" James growled.

Lily didn't even bother chastising her husband, because she felt the exact same way. Though, she did have a few more colorful words to describe her sister.

"Of course I did," Dumbledore said, not understanding why they were getting upset. "They are his family. Plus, when you sacrificed yourself to protect him, you invoked some form of ancient magik that was tied to your blood. The only way to ensure that any of Voldemort's remaining followers didn't find and harm him was to place him with a blood relative."

"Albus, they're huge arseholes," shouted Lily. "Especially her husband. The last time I talked to them was when I found out I was pregnant. Do you know what she said to me?"

Albus shook his head no.

"She told me if I was any descent normal person, I would drown my son the moment he was born," said Lily. "Spare the world of another freak like me."

Tears were now starting to roll down Lily's cheeks as she remembered the conversation, and James quickly pulled her into a hug.

"Albus," James said as he rubbed his wife's back. "The Dursley's are right bastards. So many times, we tried to offer them the olive branch, and every time they were rude and insulting. And after what her sister had said when we told her about having a child, we had had enough. The fact you put him there worries me greatly. Even more so that they actually took him in. Though, if I'm guessing correctly, you put some kind of compulsion charm on them to do so?"

Dumbledore nodded his head sadly. If he had known about the interactions they had had with the Dursley's, he would have found somewhere else to place Harry. Even taken him into his own home if need be.

"Okay, enough of this," Lily said as she wiped hey eyes. "I want to see my son."

"I believe it is a little late in the evening," Dumbledore said. "Perhaps it would be best to wait until the morning. I will of course gladly set you up with guest quarters in the castle."

"Late in the evening my recently reincarnated arse," said Lily. "I don't care, and I highly doubt that our son will either when he sees us."

Dumbledore knew they were right, and with a sigh he nodded his head and said, "Very well. I will contact Minerva so she can collect him."

"McGonagall?" asked James. "Does that mean Harry is in Gryffindor?"

"He is," Dumbledore said as he walked over to his desk and sat down. "And you will be pleased to hear that he embodies the qualities of his house very much."

Dumbledore wrote a quick note, which he then handed to Fawkes. The phoenix snatched it with his beak before flashing away.

"And what about Quidditch?" asked James, earning him a smack on the arm from his wife.

"Harry has been the team Seeker since his first year," Dumbledore said.

"First year?" asked James, who then smiled from ear to ear. "That's my boy."

"I hope you didn't let him buy a too expensive broom," said Lily.

"No, not at all," Dumbledore said. "In fact, Minerva and I bought the broom for Harry ourselves as a gift. A Nimbus 2000, which at the time was the very best broom on the market. Though sadly, it was destroyed last year. However, as I understand it, Sirius secretly sent him a new broom for Christmas. A Firebolt."

James and Lily looked at him questioningly, as neither of them had heard of the famous broom.

"It is the very same broom that is currently being used by those playing professionally," Dumbledore explained.

"Bloody hell," said James. "I take it he's played well then?"

"In the games he has participated in, your son is undefeated in catching the Snitch in all but one game," Dumbledore said. "Though, if you ask the students, many of them do not count that match do to certain circumstances."

"What does that mean, certain circumstances?" asked Lily.

"When Sirius escaped from Azkaban, our current Minister for Magic believed that he would try and kill your son," said Dumbledore. "So, against my wishes, he placed dementors around the gates of the school. For some reason, the dementors were drawn to your son."

Lily let out a gasp and covered her mouth in surprise.

"I hope that after that happened, you sent them away?" asked James.

"Unfortunately, my hands were tied," Dumbledore said. "Cornelius is very much a man worried on how people perceive him. He didn't want them to think he didn't care about the safety of the children here, so he refused to pull them away until near the end of the year. However, before you worry, Harry was able to learn how to defend himself against the dementors after that incident."

"Defend himself?" asked Lily. "How? I thought the only way to fight off a dementor was with the patronus charm?"

"It is," was all Dumbledore said, and then waited and watched for their reaction.

"Wait a second," said James. "Are you telling us that our son, at his age, is able to cast a corporeal patronus?"

"I am," Dumbledore said. "Remus was our Defense Against the Dark Arts professor last year, and gave Harry private lessons on the weekends by using a boggart."

"Why am I not surprised that Moony became a teacher," James said and Lily nodded in agreement.

"Though, I am surprised that the Board of Governors allowed it, considering his condition. Or have the laws changed regarding werewolves in the time we have been gone?"

"No, they remain the same," Dumbledore said. "However, when I hired him, I may have neglected to mention his condition. Plus, there had been a recent advancement in the field of potions. It allowed him to retain his human mind during transformation."

"So no more locking him up in the Shrieking Shack?" asked James.

"No," Dumbledore said. "In fact, Remus spent the nights of the full moon locked in his quarters, curled up in front of the fire and sleeping."

OoOoOoOoOoO

Professor Minerva McGonagall, teacher of transfiguration and head of Gryffindor house, was sleeping comfortably in her nice warm bed, when she was startled awake by the sudden burst of flame and arrival of the Headmaster's familiar.

"Does the man even know what time it is?" Professor McGonagall grumbled as she sat up in bed and took the note from the phoenix. "Bring Harry to him? He must be joking. It's far to late into the night. What is so important that he must see him now?"

The phoenix didn't answer, and just stared at her.

"Never mind, I will find out for myself," she said as she got out of bed and pulled her dressing gown on as the phoenix disappeared in a flash of flame.

"If this has anything to do with that poor boy being forced to compete in that bloody tournament, I swear I will rip his beard off his face, whisker by whisker," the woman said as she left her quarters and made her way through the castle towards Dumbledore's office.

Ten minutes later, Professor McGonagall was giving the password to the gargoyle and making her way up the stairs before she walked into his office without knocking.

"Do you have any idea what time it is?" she asked firmly. "What is so important that you want me to wake Harry up at this time of night? Haven't the recent events been stressful enough for him, without you adding to it by disturbing him in the middle of the night?"

"I agree," Dumbledore said. "However, I have been told he would want to be woken up for this."

"And what would 'this' be, exactly?" asked Professor McGonagall.

Dumbledore nodded towards the couch in the corner of his office and Professor McGonagall turned to look.

Upon seeing the two people who should not be sitting there actually sitting there, she turned back to Dumbledore and gave him one of the most frightening evil eyes he had even seen from the woman.

"Is this some sort of sick joke?" she asked. "Making copies of James and Lily. After everything that boy has been through, doing something like this would destroy him."

"What do you mean after everything our son has been through?" asked Lily as she stood up. "Albus, what haven't you told us?"

"Oh, very good," Professor McGonagall said, her voice thick with sarcasm. "You even made her sound exactly like Lily."

"Firstly, Minerva," Dumbledore said, looking at the transfiguration teacher, "they are in fact the real James and Lily Potter."

"Impossible," the woman said. "They're dead. I was at their funeral and saw them buried."

"Were dead," James said from his spot on the couch. "Past tense."

"It's true," Lily said. "Earlier tonight, James and I found ourselves alive when we woke up in the cemetery in Godric's Hallow."

Professor McGonagall looked at Dumbledore questioningly, and he nodded his head slightly.

"I didn't believe it myself when they arrived," Dumbledore said. "However, they have knowledge of events that only the real James and Lily Potter could know about."

"Merlin's beard," Professor McGonagall breathed out as she sat heavily on the nearest chair. Seeing the state of shock she was in, Dumbledore quickly called for one of the school elves and requested a glass of whiskey. When the elf returned with the drink, Dumbledore offered it to Professor McGonagall, who took it without thinking and downed it in a single gulp.

"Now that that is settled, what did she mean by everything that Harry has been through?" Lily asked as she turned to look at Dumbledore.

"Perhaps it would be best if we discuss this after you two are reunited with your son," Dumbledore said.

Lily stared at the aged wizard for a moment. "Alright," she finally said. "Though I'm sure I'll find out all about it from Harry."

"I am sure you will," Dumbledore said. He then looked at Professor McGonagall, who was still in a bit of a daze. "Minerva?"

"Yes?" she asked before shaking her head and sitting up strait. "Oh, yes. Of course. I'll… I'll just go and bring Harry down here right away."

Professor McGonagall stood up and started to leave before she stopped and looked at James and Lily in turn for a few seconds and then continuing on her way.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Harry walked out in front of the entire school, the students from the visiting schools, and some other people who had come to watch. It was the first task of the tournament, and his was a simple one. All he had to do was turn a matchstick into a needle. Harry almost laughed at the simplicity of it. However, when he cast the spell he had learned as a first year, nothing happened.

Over and over, he tried to cast the spell, and failed to produce anything each time. The assembled mass slowly started to chuckle, until it turned into full blown laughter as Dumbledore made his way from the judges table and over to Harry. The aged wizard cast a series of complex spells on Harry and then frowned.

"I'm sorry," Dumbledore said. "I am afraid that the Goblet has taken away your magic. You're a squib now, which means you can no longer remain here and must return to your old life with the Dursley's."

Everything went by in a flash for Harry, and before he knew it, his was being shoved back into the cupboard under the stairs by the fat meaty hand of his uncle.

"You'll never see the light of day again… Freak," Vernon growled with an evil grin before he slammed the door closed.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Harry sat up in his four poster bed, gasping for air and with sweat dripping down his face as he woke up from his nightmare. His green eyes darted around as his sleep addled brain slowly took in his surroundings and his racing heartbeat slowed down.

"Mr. Potter?" the quiet voice of Professor McGonagall called from the door.

"Professor?" Harry said as he reached over and grabbed his glasses, which he put on. "Is something wrong?"

"No," she said. "However, you are needed in the Headmasters office right away."

"Now?" asked Harry. "Can't it wait till morning?"

"I understand that it's late," said Professor McGonagall. "However, trust me when I say you will be most pleased when you come up to the office."

Only one thing went through Harry's mind at that moment. That Dumbledore had somehow found a way to get him out of the Tri-Wizard tournament. As quickly as he could, Harry jumped out of bed and pulled his dressing gown on before he followed his head of house to the Headmaster's office.

"You wanted to see me sir?" Harry questioned when he entered the office and found Dumbledore sitting behind his desk.

"No, I did not," Dumbledore said. "However, they were very interested in seeing you."

Dumbledore gestured to behind Harry, who turned around. His eyes went as wide as Dobby's when he saw the man and woman standing behind him. They looked exactly as they had when he had seen them a few years previously in the Mirror of Erised.

"Dad?" Harry asked and James nodded his head with a smile. "Mum?"

"Hi sweetie," Lily said.

Harry nodded his head in shock for a moment before his eyes rolled back into his head and he fainted, falling to the floor like a rag doll.

OoOoOoOoOoO

 **A/N:** Not much to say about this chapter. Just James and Lily getting a bit of history on what they missed. Obviously, it goes without saying that the Dursley's are going to be in for the shock of their lives when they learn on their return. But don't expect that any time soon. I'm thinking of saving the confrontation between them for when they expect to be picking up Harry at King's Cross at the end of the school year. Make it a nice public embarrassment for the "oh so proper" Dursley family.

Next chapter, Harry wakes up and things get a little awkward.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

Harry's head felt like it was swimming as he slowly regained consciousness. Everything was a blur as he opened his eyes. He couldn't help but let out a groan as he tried to sit up.

"Slowly, Harry," Dumbledore said as he moved over to the couch the young wizard was lying down on. "Slowly. You bumped your head when you fainted."

Dumbledore helped Harry to sit up before he handed him his glasses.

"Thanks," Harry quietly said as he put his glasses on, the world around him coming into focus as he did. His throat felt dry and he was just about to ask for a glass of water, when Dumbledore conjured one and handed it to him.

He pulled up a chair and sat down as Harry took a drink.

"Is it really them?" Harry asked after a few minutes of silence had passed.

"They have their memories," Dumbledore said. "That much I have confirmed. As for if their bodies are the originals or magically recreated constructs, Madam Pomfrey is determining that as we speak."

"How?" Harry asked.

"That, I do not know," Dumbledore said. "In fact, I was hoping you might be able to shed some light on that subject."

Harry shifted uncomfortably in his seat as he avoided the Headmaster's gaze.

"Harry, what happened?" Dumbledore quietly asked.

"We were at the World Cup," Harry said. "Ron, Hermione, and me. Mr. Weasley sent us to get some water. On our way there, this old woman came up to us. She… She rambled on about me having some kind of destiny."

Harry was staring into his glass of water and didn't notice the brief look of surprise on Dumbledore's face before he quickly schooled his features.

"She told me to wait while she got something for me," Harry continued. "But we didn't wait. We thought it best to get away incase she was crazy. Yet somehow she tracked us down and gave me this little stone. She called it a wishing stone."

"A wishing stone?" Dumbledore asked.

"That's what she called it," Harry said. "She told me that when the time came, I would know what to do. Then after the game and everything that happened that night, I all but forgot about it. That is until tonight. My name coming out of the Goblet. Ron accusing me of cheating. Hermione nowhere to be found."

"Ah, Miss Granger might be my fault," Dumbledore said. "After you went into the side room with the other champions, I sent everyone back to their common rooms. Of course, she didn't listen and practically marched right up to me and demanded to know what was going on. Not ask, but demanded. I must say, Miss Granger is not one I would ever wish to be on the bad side of. She can be quite frightening when she is upset."

"Tell me about it," Harry said.

"I informed her that I didn't know, but that I would be getting to the bottom of it," Dumbledore said. "She then said that she wanted to see you, but I didn't think it be best. Emotions were already running high, and I knew that if she was there, she would say something, which would result in someone else saying something possibly offensive. And from there, you and I both know what would happen."

"I'd curse whoever hurt her feelings," Harry said.

"Exactly," Dumbledore said with a small smile. "She then said that she would wait in he Great Hall for us to finish, however, I had no idea how long we would be. So I told her it would be best if she just went to bed and that the two of you could talk about it tomorrow."

"Oh," Harry said, sounding relieved. He had been so worried that Hermione had felt betrayed by him and wanted nothing to do with him anymore. To find out that she only went to bed because she didn't expect to see him that night was like a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

"Anyways," Harry said after a moment of silence. "Back to the stone… It was after sitting in my bed for a few hours that I remembered it. I grabbed it from my trunk and started to think about what I should wish for. I didn't even think about if it would work or not. I just wanted it to work and believed that it would."

"Much like casting a spell," Dumbledore said. "Belief in yourself and using you will and intent to make it happen."

"I guess," Harry said. "At first, I thought about wishing to not be in the tournament."

"I am surprised that you didn't," Dumbledore said.

"I wasn't sure if the wish would be strong enough to overpower the magic from the Goblet," Harry said.

"Wise thinking," Dumbledore said. "The Goblet was created using very old magic."

"The old woman said the same thing about the stone," Harry said. "Anyways, my next idea for a wish was for Ron to believe me."

"And yet you didn't," Dumbledore said. "May I ask why not?"

"I didn't want to force him against his will," Harry said. "It didn't feel right."

Dumbledore smiled, feeling prouder of the young wizard before him than ever before. That kind of wish would be close to the imperious curse, and possibly start Harry down a dark path. Yet he resisted the temptation.

"That's when I thought of my parents," Harry said. "I saw the picture of them on the table next to my bed, and instantly I wished for them to come back. But I didn't think it worked. The stone crumbled to dust instantly."

"Interesting," Dumbledore said. "No flashing lights and explosive force?"

"None," Harry said. "That's why I thought it didn't work. But then Professor McGonagall brought me here and I saw them. I still can't believe it's really them… Professor, what's going to happen now that they are back?"

"Well," Dumbledore said as he pondered the thought for a moment. "I believe first we will need to prove they are who they are to the rest of the world. Gringotts would be the best place for that. The goblins have many different magical means of proving ones identity. If the goblins sign off on who they are, no one in the Ministry would dare question it. However, I must warn you Harry. Once it comes to light that they are back… Well, you know how everyone tires to make a big deal about you being the Boy-Who-Lived?"

"Unfortunately," Harry said.

"For a while, it's going to be worse for your parents," Dumbledore said. "No one has ever come back from the dead without the use of some dark ritual. And even then, they do not come back whole."

A worried look crossed Harry's face. One that Dumbledore quickly picked up on.

"Not to worry," the aged wizard said. "What brought your parents back is nothing like those spells."

"How can you be sure?" Harry asked, afraid that his parents were going to end up like some kind of zombie. The last thing he needed in his life now was for him to be blamed for starting a magical zombie apocalypse.

"For starters, they have their memories," Dumbledore said. "When a dark spell brings someone back, they are just an empty husk, reanimated to do the bidding of whoever brought them back. And second, they don't smell like fudge."

"Fudge?" asked a confused Harry.

"A long story we shall have to save for another time," Dumbledore said. "But for now, how about we head down to the Hospital Wing and see how your parents are doing?"

"Alright," Harry said, but deep down he was nervous. More nervous than he had been before his first Quidditch match.

OoOoOoOoOoO

"Okay, seriously, how much longer is this going to take?" James asked irritably as Madam Pomfrey kept poking and prodding him with her wand, casting various spells to check his vitals and mental stability.

"As long as it takes," the healer said. "I swear, I do not know who is the worse patient, you or your son."

"Harry's had to visit here before?" Lily asked.

"At least once a year since he arrived," Madam Pomfrey said as she lifted James' left arm and poked him in the armpit with her wand.

"Ow," cried James, feeling that she had poked him a little harder than needed. "He's not accident prone, is he?"

"I wouldn't say that," Madam Pomfrey said. "But he does have a tendency to end up in dangerous situations."

"What do you mean by dangerous situations?" asked Lily.

"Odd things have been happening around here for the past few years," Madam Pomfrey said. "In Harry's first year, our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher went a bit mad. Rumor has it that he was dabbling in the dark arts himself, as a better way to understand what he was teaching. But the corruptive power of it was too much for him. I'm not privy to all of the details, but somehow, Harry and his friends ended up having to face him when he tried to steal something that Albus was hiding in the school. His friends were only here for a day, but Harry was a guest of mine for over a week."

"Guest or prisoner?" asked James, which he instantly regretted when Madam Pomfrey lifted his other arm and jabbed him even harder with her wand.

"Lil's, I think she's trying to kill me," James said.

"Serves you right for having a smart mouth," Lily said before she gave him a quick kiss on the lips. "What else has happened to Harry?"

"Well, in his second year, someone opened the Chamber of Secrets," Madam Pomfrey said, causing both of them to gasp.

"But I thought that the chamber was just a legend," James said.

"So did a lot of people," said Madam Pomfrey. "But students were being petrified all year."

"Was Harry…" Lily started to ask, afraid to find out the answer.

"No," Madam Pomfrey quickly said. "No, not at all. In fact, it was Harry who discovered the location of the chamber and killed whatever was down there. Though what it was, I haven't a clue. Albus wouldn't tell. All I know for sure was that Harry slayed it with the sword of Gryffindor. And I only know that much because I overheard Albus and Severus talking about it before they grew quiet when they noticed me."

"Severus?" asked Lily.

"Snivellus?" asked James.

"What was Severus doing here?" asked Lily.

"Of course you wouldn't know," Madam Pomfrey said. "And Albus didn't tell you?"

"Tell us what?" asked Lily.

"Severus Snape teaches potions here," Madam Pomfrey said, as though it wasn't anything huge. However, to the Potter's, it was nearly earth shattering news. The last time they had seen the man, had been during that fight in Diagon Alley on the night Lily found out that she was pregnant.

"You're telling us, that Albus is letting a Death Eater teach at this school?" James asked, his voice cold sounding. His only thought at that moment was that he wished he had his wand so he could find that man and use it on him in creative ways.

"What are you talking about?" asked Madam Pomfrey.

"Snape is a Death Eater," said James.

"Look, I remember the feud the two of you had while in school," said Madam Pomfrey, "but to go and make a claim like that could ruin a mans life."

"It's true," Lily said. "I was the only friend Severus ever had while we were students. And while he had a love of potions, it was only second to his desire to learn about the dark arts. Everyone thinks it was him calling me a mudblood in our fifth year that ended our friendship. And while it hurt, I forgave him for that. He was mad and it was said in the heat of the moment while James was being a huge prat to him. No, what ended our friendship took place later that night. I went looking for him and found him in an unused classroom. He didn't see me come in and so he didn't know I was standing in the doorway, watching him as he tried to create his own spell. A dark curse. One that would not only cut a person deeply, but prevent the wound from being healed unless the counter curse he created along with it was used as well."

Tears started to fill Lily's green eyes before they overflowed and started to roll down her cheek.

"I turned and ran back to the common room and up to my bed where I cried myself to sleep that night," Lily said as she wiped her eyes. "I cried because the person who had been my best friend, the person who showed me magic was real when it first started to happen to me, was truly lost to the dark."

"While that is a sad story, it doesn't prove he was a Death Eater," Madam Pomfrey said.

"No, it doesn't," said James as he got up from the bed and hugged his wife closely. "But the seven times we dueled against each other during the war is."

Just then, the door to the Hospital Wing opened as Dumbledore walked in, Harry trailing a few feet behind him.

"Right," James said. "Harry, pack your stuff, we're leaving."

"What?" asked a surprised Harry.

"May I ask what is going on?" Dumbledore said.

"Snape," James said, saying the name like it was something foul in his mouth. "You have him teaching here."

"I do," said Dumbledore.

"A Death Eater," James said, his voice rising slightly. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Snape is a Death Eater?" Harry asked, surprised by this news.

"Former Death Eater," Dumbledore said. "However, before any rash decisions are made, there is much about Severus that you do not know."

"I know enough about Snivellus," said James. "And I'll be damned if I let my son remain within a hundred kilometers of that greasy haired bastard."

"Then you know that it was Severus that informed me that Voldemort had targeted your family, and that at great risk to his own life, turned spy for us during the last few months of the war?" Dumbledore asked in a calm tone a voice. He had been expecting this confrontation when James inevitably found out about his former school rival. Though, he had expected it to happen when he saw him in the Great Hall, and was quite relieved it was now as it would prevent a public spectacle from taking place, as well as a possible duel where someone might have been hurt.

"He did?" asked Lily.

"He did," said Dumbledore. "Though, I will admit that it wasn't because of James or even Harry. He was worried about you Lily. He still cared for you as a friend. That is why he came to me. He is why we knew you had to go into hiding."

"I don't care what his motives were," James said. "The man is still an evil bastard who chose his side long before we left school."

"I understand your feelings," Dumbledore said. "But there are other matters to consider. Reasons that Harry cannot leave the school right now."

"His education," James said. "Believe me, there are plenty of other magical schools around the world he can go to. And as for his friends, Harry can write to them all he wants, and they can come and visit for as long as they want during the summer, just as soon as we find a new home."

"Home," Harry quietly whispered to himself. A home with his parents. While seeing them again was awkward to say the least, the thought of having his family back brought a warm feeling deep inside him.

"I mean the tournament," Dumbledore said.

"Tournament?" asked Lily. "What tournament?"

"The Tri-Wizard Tournament," Harry said. "Someone entered me into it and now I have to compete."

"OVER MY ONCE DEAD FUCKING BODY!" shouted James so loud that all of the paintings in the room woke up and started complaining.

"James!?" Lily exclaimed at her husbands' sudden outburst.

"No Lily," James said as he looked at her. "They never taught about the tournament in school, but I heard stories about it from my great uncle when I was a kid. Tasks designed to test ones skill, but in reality, it was more like a magical version of coliseum games the Romans had. People die during these tasks. In fact, the last time they had this tournament over one hundred years ago, all of the champions were killed."

"I can assure you, that will not happen this time," Dumbledore said. "Precautions have been taken to ensure that the tasks will not be dangerous. Just create the illusion of extreme danger for those watching."

"Really?" asked James. "Then what's the first task?"

"I cannot say that with Harry present," Dumbledore said. "It would give him an advantage over the other three champions."

"Then we're leaving," James stated in a tone that said that there would be no changing his mind.

"But I haven't finished yet," said Madam Pomfrey. "I still have to check Lily to make sure nothing is wrong with her."

James seemed to think it over for a moment before he said, "Fine… But then we're leaving."

Madam Pomfrey led Lily over to one of the beds and proceeded to run various medical spells on her. James noticed that she was being far more careful with his wife than she had been with him.

"James, can we please talk?" asked Dumbledore.

"There's nothing to talk about," said James. "Some greater power out there has given our family a second chance. And I'll be damned if I'm going to lose it because of some stupid contest."

"Dad," Harry said, the words sounding strange in his mouth, as he had never expected to say them to his own father. "I have to compete."

"No you don't Harry," said James.

"No, I really do," said Harry. "If I don't, I could lose my magic."

"What nonsense is this?" asked James.

"It is part of the magical contract with the Goblet of Fire," said Dumbledore. "When a champions name comes out of the Goblet, it binds them to a magical contract much like a magical oath. If Harry fails to fulfill his end of the deal, the Goblet will deem that as breaking the contract and as punishment, strip him of his magic."

James stood there for a moment, his nostrils flaring as he processed everything he had just been told. Then he did the only rational thing his mind told him to do.

He punched Dumbledore in the nose.

OoOoOoOoOoO

 **A/N** : Heh, I just love the ending to this chapter.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

The Hospital Wing of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was deathly quiet. So quiet, you could easily hear a pin drop. Well, that and Dumbledore's back end as it hit the stone floor.

"Holy shit," said Harry, the first to break the now uneasy silence after watching his recently returned from the dead father punch the Headmaster of his school in the nose so hard, it sent the aged wizard back onto his hind quarters.

"James Charlus Potter," Lily said in an angry tone.

James winced slightly. Not only because he regretted letting his anger get the best of him, but also because his wife had just used his full name. And as every married man knows, when his wife uses his full name, he is in some very deep trouble.

James felt someone push him aside, as Madam Pomfrey rushed over to the fallen Headmaster, whose nose was now starting to drip blood.

"Broken again," the healer said as she proceeded to fix his nose once again. It was practically a yearly ritual for the woman, as whenever Albus visited his brother Aberforth, he always returned with a broken nose.

"I… I… I'm sorry," James said. "I don't know what came over me."

"You were being an idiot again," Lily said. "What have I told you about your anger?"

"That I shouldn't let it over rule my judgment," James said as he looked down at his feet.

This wasn't the first time James had let his anger control his actions. In his sixth year at school, he had beaten up Snape pretty bad after he found out that his rival had ratted him out for a prank he had pulled. And then a few years later, he had decked Sirius all but good after a witch he had had a one night stand with informed him that she might be pregnant. It wasn't the pregnant part that caused James to punch his brother in all but blood. It was when he said he was thinking of fleeing the country.

Standing off to the side, Harry suddenly had a huge smile on his face. Not because of his father punching Dumbledore. No, it was because he was finding out that his parents weren't the perfect people everyone trumped them up to be when telling stories about them. They were normal people who sometimes did stupid things. Just like him.

"There," Madam Pomfrey said as she finished waving her wand in front of Dumbledore's face. "All healed."

"Thank you," Dumbledore said as she helped him to his feet.

"I know, I'm sorry," James said.

"No, it is I who should be sorry," Dumbledore responded.

"For what?" James and Lily asked at the same time.

"For sounding so callus about the fate that has befallen your son," said Dumbledore. "I gave the impression that I do not care, when that is further than the truth. I do care about Harry, quite a lot. He is like a grandson to me."

"It's still no excuse for me punching you," said James. He then held out his hand, which Dumbledore was quick to shake.

"Now that that's over, perhaps I can finish with my check up on Lily?" Madam Pomfrey asked.

"Of course," Lily said, as he resumed her place on the bed, allowing the healer to continue what she had started.

OoOoOoOoOoO

It was nearly three in the morning, and despite the late hour, only one person was awake in all of Gryffindor tower.

Her name was Hermione Granger.

The bushy haired witch, that many considered to be the brightest of her age, tossed and turned as she tried to sleep. Yet sleep was an elusive creature that refused to take hold. This was due to the fact that her brain just would not shut down as it was filled with thoughts of her best friend, Harry Potter.

Hermione let out a growl as she sat up and punched her pillow repeatedly, thinking that just maybe the violent act towards it would make it more comfy and allow her to finally sleep.

"Keep it down Granger," Lavender Brown sleepily called out from behind her closed bed curtains. "Some of us actually like getting our beauty sleep so we can look good in the morning."

In the agitated mindset Hermione was currently in, for a tiny brief moment, she had been sorely tempted to grab her wand and curse off the dirty blond hair from her dorm mates head. However, unlike in her third year when she let her anger get the better of her and punched Draco Malfoy in the face, Hermione took a few deep breaths and calmed herself down enough before she did something she would later regret… Maybe.

Finally, after another ten minutes of restless lying in her bed, Hermione decided to go and see Harry. She would drag him out of his bed and down to the common room if need be in order to find out what was going on.

After slipping on her dressing gown, she headed down the girl's staircase and up the boys' to the forth year dorm. As quietly as she could, she opened the door and made her way over to Harry's bed, only to find it empty. At first she wondered if he had even gone to bed yet, but one look at the messy sheets told her that he had. The only question that remained now was, where did he go?

"Ron," she whispered as she moved over to the head heads bed. If anyone knew where Harry had gone, it would be his best mate. "Ron, wake up."

"Wha?" Ron grumbled as the chain saw sound of his snoring stopped when he awakened.

"Ron, do you know where Harry went?" Hermione asked.

"No," Ron said, now a little more awake and annoyed. Not just from having been woken up, but being woken up because of something Harry related. "He could be jumping off of the astronomy tower for all I care."

"Ronald Weasley, that's a horrible thing to say," Hermione said, a little louder than she had intended. Looking around, she noticed the other occupants of the room were starting to wake up as well.

"No, what's horrible is that he stabbed me in the back," said Ron as he sat up in his bed and looked at Hermione.

"Stabbed you in the back?" asked Hermione. "What are you babbling about?"

"The tournament," spat Ron. "He found a way to enter and he didn't tell me."

"Ron, you idiot, he didn't enter his name," said Hermione. "Harry wants nothing to do with this stupid tournament."

"Right," said Ron as he rolled his eyes. "Sure he doesn't. Let me ask you a question Hermione. What did Harry promise you?"

"Promise me?" she asked.

"Yes, promise you," said Ron. "I mean, if anyone is smart enough to get past Dumbledore's age line, it would be you. So what did he promise you to do it?"

"I did no such thing," Hermione said, insulted that he would even think that she would. "I would never help Harry enter the tournament. But that's beside the point, because Harry didn't enter."

"Oh, I get it now," said Ron. "He said he's sleep with you."

"What?" asked Hermione, her voice going cold.

Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnegan, and Neville Longbottom all shared a look. A look that said that very soon, for their remaining years at Hogwarts, there would only be four people in their dorm room instead of five.

"Don't deny it Hermione," said Ron. "I mean, look at you. You're no catch. Bushy wild hair. Buck teeth. Bossy know it all attitude. No guy in his right mind would ever want to be with you. So you make a deal with Harry. Get him into the tournament and in return, he beds you so you can then go around and telling everyone that you shagged the Boy-Who-Lived."

"Well, it was nice knowing him," Seamus quietly said, but loud enough for Dean to hear, who nodded his head in agreement.

Hermione was angry. No, scratch that. She was fucking pissed off. Closing her eyes, she took a few deep breaths in order to try and calm down.

"Fuck it," Hermione said. She then pointed her wand at Ron and said, "Aguamenti," causing a huge jet of water to come spraying out of the tip of her wand and right into Ron's face.

"AGH!" Ron screamed and he rolled around in his bed, getting tangled up in the sheets as the witch practically drowned him.

"Do I have your attention now, Ronald?" Hermione asked as she continued to hose him down. "I have put up with your shit for the past three years. No more. I am done with you. Our friendship, if you could even call it that, is over. And don't think for a second that I won't be telling Harry what you said. Because I will. And when he finds out, I doubt I am going to even try and stop him from doing whatever he wants to you."

With that said, she canceled her spell and started to head towards the door before she stopped and looked at the other three boys in the room.

"I'm sorry for waking you guys up," she said.

"It's okay," said Seamus.

"Totally worth it," said Dean.

Hermione gave a brief nod before she left the room.

Neville stood up from his bed and picked up one of his plants. He then walked over to Ron's bed and wrung out one of the soaked bed sheets over the plant, giving it a drink of water. Seeing the other two boys looking at him, he just gave a half smile and a shrug before putting his plant back and going back to bed. Dean and Seamus chuckled as they laid down and went back to sleep, ignoring the sputtering and soaked Ron, who was still trying to untangle himself from his new waterbed.

It was a moment later that Hermione returned to the dorm room and made her way over to Harry's trunk. Opening it, she looked around until she found what she was looking for. A folded up bit of old parchment. Hearing Ron complaining, she cast a silencing charm around his bed as she left the room.

"Thank you Hermione," Neville said from his bed.

"You're welcome Neville," she said as she closed the door behind her.

Once down in the empty common room, Hermione sat on the couch and spread out the blank sheet of parchment.

"Now what was the password?" Hermione asked herself, trying to remember the one time she had heard Harry say it. "Oh, yes, that's right… I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

From the tip of her wand, which was touching the parchment, ink seemed to spread out until it formed a map of the entire school.

"Now where are you?" she asked herself as she started looking over the map. It took her nearly ten minutes of searching before she found the little dot with Harry's name attached to it in the middle of the hospital wing. Her first thought was that Harry had somehow once again been injured. But then she spotted the other names attached to the other dots in the hospital wing. Including James and Lily Potter.

"That's impossible"

OoOoOoOoOoO

James and Harry were sitting in the corner of the Hospital Wing while Madam Pomfrey continued her check up on Lily. The two male Potter's sat silently, neither of them sure what to say.

"So…" James said after nearly ten minutes of silence had passed. "How's school?"

"Weird," Harry said.

James nodded his head.

"Did crazy things happen when you and mum were students?" Harry asked.

"Oh yeah," said James with bit of a grin. "But usually the craziness was caused by myself and my friends."

"The Marauders," Harry said.

"They still speak of us?" James asked with a bit of hopefulness in his voice.

"No," answered Harry. "Not really. I mean, the Weasley twins worship you guys. They even found your map."

"The map still exists?" James asked with wide eyes and hope in his voice.

"Yeah," said Harry. "They knicked it from Filch's office in their first year. "But it took them till their third year to figure out how it worked. Last year they gave it to me so I could sneak out of the school and go to Hogsmeade since the Dursley's didn't sign my permission slip."

"Merlin blessed," James said. "Not about the Dursley's, but that the map still exists and that you have it. It took us four years to lay out the charm work on that thing. Some of the most complex spells we ever used. Then Wormtail up and lost it one day in our seventh year."

Thinking about his former friend brought up a well of emotions inside James, mostly anger and sadness. Never in a million years would he have thought that one of his brothers would turn against them. Especially against them for Voldemort.

"Impossible," Madam Pomfrey said.

"What is it?" asked James as he quickly got to his feet and rushed to stand beside his wife. "What's wrong?"

"Wrong?" asked Madam Pomfrey. "Nothing. It's just…"

"Just what?" asked Lily.

"You're three weeks pregnant," Madam Pomfrey said with a dumbfounded look on her face. "With twins."

THUD

Lily and Madam Pomfrey looked down at James, who had fainted at the news.

"Should I…" Madam Pomfrey started to ask.

"He'll be fine," Lily said as she waved her husbands antics off. She knew he was just faking it for attention. It wasn't the first time he had done it, and it wouldn't be the last. "What I'd like to know is how I'm pregnant."

"I have no idea," said Madam Pomfrey. "I guess whatever brought you back, returned your body exactly like it was at the moment of your death. Which would mean that James impregnated you three weeks before that unfortunate night."

Lily thought back to that night, which for her was three weeks ago. After putting Harry to bed after he had spent an hour chasing the cat on the mini broom Sirius had gotten him, she and James had sat down on the couch in the living room. There, the two of them had enjoyed a nice bottle of wine in front of the fireplace and pretending that the war didn't exist outside of their hiding place and that life was normal. One thing led to another and ended with the two of them making love in front of the fire.

"Twins," Harry quietly said to himself. He was going to have himself some younger siblings. And this on top of his parents coming back. He was finally getting the family he had always dreamed of. Looking up, he silently thanked that old woman for the wishing stone. Wherever and whoever she was.

Just then, the door to the Hospital Wing opened and Hermione walked in with the map in one hand and her wand in the other.

"Miss Granger, what you doing up at this hour?" Madam Pomfrey said.

However, Hermione didn't say anything. She just looked around the room before her eyes fell on the one person she was looking for.

"You," Hermione said to Harry. "You have some explaining to do."

"I do?" a confused Harry asked.

"Yes," said Hermione. "For starters, why is it when I used your map to find you, I see your parents on it?"

"That's because we're here."

Hermione turned and raised her wand at the red headed woman walking towards her.

"Hi, I'm Lily Potter, Harry's mum," she said. "And you are?"

"Mum, this is Hermione Granger," Harry said as he stood up and moved next to Hermione. He grabbed her hand which held her wand, and started to lower it. "My best friend and the smartest witch in our age."

"A pleasure to meet you Hermione," Lily said.

"The same, I guess," Hermione said, eyeing the woman carefully. She had been friends with Harry for three years now, and after everything they had been through, she wasn't just going to accept this at face value.

"That goofball on the floor over there pretending to be unconscious is my husband, Harry's father, James," Lily said.

"Hi," James said, raising his hand to give a brief wave from his spot on the floor.

"Harry," Hermione said, turning to look at the raven haired wizard. "What is going on?"

"Remember when we went to the Quidditch World Cup, there was that old woman?" Harry asked.

"Of course," Hermione said. "She gave you that little rock and said it could grant wishes… You don't mean?"

"Yeah, I do," said Harry. "Shortly after I went to bed, I remembered the stone and used it to wish for my parents to be back. And it worked."

"Did it?" Hermione asked. "This has to be some kind of powerful magic Harry. And magic that powerful must have a price to be paid. A balance must be kept."

Lily had to admit that she was impressed by the young witch in front of her. She had never considered that possibility, but now that it was out there, it made sense. Magic had a balance, and it also had a way of correcting that balance when it was played with. And tonight, it was used to bring two, no, four people back to life, she thought as she gently rubbed her stomach.

Somewhere out in the world, someone was going to have to pay the price for their return.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Deep inside the Room of Hidden Things within the walls of Hogwarts, black smoke started to rise from underneath a very large pile of junk.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Underneath a cupboard in the kitchen of a house most dark, an echoing scream could be heard.

"Finally, my masters last wish has been fulfilled," a small creature with large ears and a long nose said before it gave a little dance in celebration just before it keeled over from a heart attack.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Within one of the deepest vaults in the most hallowed halls of Gringotts, smoke filled the sealed the room.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Within a rundown shack of a house, a wailing scream could be heard just moments before the place caught fire, burning to the ground.

"Balance restored," the old woman said before she cackled with glee and started walking down the dirt road towards the small village not far away.

OoOoOoOoOoO

 **A/N** : A few interesting moments in this chapter. The end of the friendship between Ron and Hermione. And yes, Harry will not be a happy wizard the next time he sees Ron. Lily being pregnant wasn't something I had in mind when I started this story. It just sort of happened. As for Horcrux's, depending on my mood when I'm writing, I'm either a fan of using them or not. This time, it's sort of 50/50. I wrote them in, just to get rid of them right away. However, if you noticed, I didn't mention if Harry is one as well or not. I only needed four of them for the balance. Gotta leave a bit of mystery and suspense for later on regarding Harry.

Next chapter… Some breakfast and my version of the history of house elves.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

Albus Dumbledore sat at his desk as the sun started to crest over the horizon. Deep bags could be seen under his eyes due to lack of sleep. For the aged wizard, it had been a very long night starting with Harry's name coming out of the Goblet of Fire and naming him the forth champion for the Tri-Wizard Tournament, and continuing with the mysterious magical return of his parents, James and Lily, from the great beyond. There was some force at work here, meddling in the affairs of their world, he was sure of it. Be it for good or evil, that was the question plaguing his mind. And to top matters off, not ten minutes ago, a house elf popped in and informed him that the Room of Requirement that Helga Hufflepuff created had caught fire. Thankfully, the magic that pulsed deep within the stonework of the castle snuffed it out before it grew too large. Yet the question remained… How did the fire start?

It was one that he would have to look into later when he had the chance. For now, he had other issues to deal with.

Just then, the gargoyle informed him that the Potter's and Miss Granger were asking for admittance. He smiled to himself, as he should have known that the young witch wouldn't have waited to talk to Harry. After telling the gargoyle to let them up, Dumbledore pulled out a sheet of parchment and began to write a short letter, which he sent off with Fawkes just as they walked into his office.

"Ah, good morning," Dumbledore said. "I trust everything is well?"

"Very," James said with a smile.

"Impressively so," said Lily, "since it seems that I'm three weeks pregnant."

"Pregnant?" Dumbledore asked with a look of total bewilderment on his face.

"With twins," James added.

"Twins?" Dumbledore repeated. He remained silent for a few moments before a smile broke out on his face. "Ah, I get it. A Marauder's prank. You almost had me there."

"It's no prank Albus," said Lily. "Poppy checked me five times, and each time the results were the same. I'm three weeks pregnant with twins."

Albus briefly looked up and thought there surely was something all powerful meddling in their world.

"Well then," he finally said. "This is more so a joyous occasion. Now, why don't we sit down and have some breakfast. I know it's a bit early still, but…"

"I'm famished actually," said Lily.

"Me too," said James. "I haven't eaten since…"

Lily quickly covered her husbands' mouth with her hand.

"Sweetie, I love you to death, but if you finish that sentence, you will be spending the next month sleeping on the couch," Lily said. "That is, just as soon as we get ourselves a new house."

James' shoulders slumped in defeat as he nodded his head in agreement.

"Good," said Lily as she removed her hand.

Dumbledore pulled out his wand and used it to conjure a table and five chairs in the middle of his office. Just as they sat down, a house elf appeared.

"Ah, Twidget," said Dumbledore. "If you would be so kind as to bring breakfast for five."

"Of course Headmaster," the house elf said, and with a bow, popped away while Hermione sat there with a scowl on her face. Something that was noticed by all at the table.

"Something wrong Miss Granger?" Dumbledore asked.

"Of course not," Hermione said in a clipped tone, and then started grumbling.

"I'm sorry, but my hearing seems to be going," Dumbledore said. "I missed that last part."

"I said, how can you so openly approve of slavery?" Hermione nearly shouted.

"Slavery?" asked a confused Dumbledore. Meanwhile, Lily had a small smile on her face, and was trying not to laugh, which Hermione noticed.

"I don't know how you can find this funny," Hermione said.

"I can, and I do," said Lily. "Because I was just like you in my third year when I found out about house elves."

"Oh Merlin, I forgot all about that," James said with a laugh. "Ri.F.E.M. you called it."

"It was the Rights For Elves Movement," Lily said. "And at the time, I thought it was a good idea."

"So why did you give it up?" Hermione asked in an accusing tone.

"Because I learned the truth," Lily said. "House elves might appear as slaves, as they don't work for wages. However, they get paid in other ways as well."

"Such as?" asked Hermione.

"Magic," Lily said. "House elves are a cursed race. If memory serves me correctly of what Severus told me, it happened long before the time of the Founders. The High Elves were a proud and noble race. Great craftsmen, builders, storytellers, and musicians. They were also very powerful magic users as well. In fact, I believe they were the ones that originaly taught Merlin his craft?"

Lily looked at Dumbledore, who nodded his head.

"Right," said Lily. "Anyways, one day, a wizard who had gone dark decided that he hated the High Elves. Why? No idea. But he hated them with a passion. So much so, that he used several dark rituals to create a gem, which he then used to poison and curse the High Elves. Their magic was stripped from them and their bodies twisted into the way they look today. For nearly ten years, these elves slowly died away because they could not live without their magic. It was Merlin who discovered that if an elf bonded with someone with magic, they could then share that magic and keep them alive. Unfortunately, there are some that abuse this symbiotic relationship and treat their house elves like sub human beings, when in fact, even with them using our magic to charge themselves, they could easily wipe us all out."

"Aint that the truth," Harry said, remembering how Dobby had blasted Lucius Malfoy down the hallway like a rag doll.

James was about to ask what his son meant by that when Hermione said, "But why aren't there any books about that? The first week we were back, I searched and read every book the library has on house elves, and none of them mention that."

"Not in the General Section," Dumbledore said. "The book with the history of house elves is kept in the Restricted Section."

"Why?" asked Hermione. "Why would you keep a book like that there?"

"It wasn't my choice," answered Dumbledore. "The school governors decided long ago that that book should be kept in the Restricted Section. I believe the reason they gave is that they didn't want such knowledge openly available. Is that right Phineas?"

"Quite," answered one of the portraits of a former Headmaster. "And I fully agreed with them. Knowledge of Pure Blood history is too valuable to be left around for simple muggleborns to access."

"Phineas," Dumbledore said with a warning tone.

"And to think that I'm related to that arsehole," said James.

At that moment, Twidget returned along with enough food to feed nearly a dozen people. Eggs. Bacon. Sausage. Pancakes. Waffles. Toast. As well as various fresh fruits. There were also large crystal carafe's filled with milk, orange juice, pumpkin juice, grapefruit juice, and pineapple juice. Not to mention two large kettles, one full of tea and the other coffee.

"Twidget is sorry it took so long," the house elf said. "But one of the newly arrived ones was passed out on butterbeer in front of the ovens."

"Oh, my," said Dumbledore. "Which one?"

"Winky, sir," Twidget responded.

"Winky?" asked Hermione, her eyes going wide.

"Yes," Dumbledore said. "After I heard what happened at the World Cup, I found her in Diagon Alley looking for a family to bond to. I offered her work here in the castle, but it doesn't seem to be suiting her well. She's more used to serving a family, not an entire school. Sadly, it seems she has taken to drinking her troubles away."

"I don't get it," Harry said. "It's just butterbeer. We drink it all the time."

"To us, butterbeer is nothing," James said. "But to a house elf… It's equal to a muggle drinking pure grain alcohol."

Hermione gasped as she covered her mouth.

"The poor thing," she said. "Isn't there anything that can be done to help her."

"Unless she accepts her position here in the school, I don't believe anything other than bonding with a proper family will help her," Dumbledore said.

James and Lily shared a look. One that held a conversation only two people who deeply knew each other could understand. One that conveyed hours of discussion and debate in only a matter of seconds.

Finally, Lily nodded before she turned to the house elf and said, "Twidget, would be so kind and bring Winky here to us?"

"Right away," Twidget said before popping away.

It was only a few seconds before he returned with an obviously drunk house elf leaning against him.

"I don't care what you say," Winky said, her speech slurred with drink. "I'm not going anywhere with the likes of yous."

Winky then looked around and noticed the change in location. She then noticed Hermione and her large tennis ball like eyes narrowed into slits.

"Winky knows you," she said, pointing her finger at Hermione. "Yous was there when Winky lost her family."

"We both were," Harry said.

Winky turned to look at Harry, and her eyes widened in fright.

"Winky didn't know," she said, dropping to her knees as she started to cry. "Winky swears she didn't know what her old master was doing till it happened."

Everyone at the table shared a confused look.

"Winky," Dumbledore said in his most kind and grandfatherly voice as he got down on one knee in front of her. "What did Mr. Crouch do?"

"Winky can't say," said the house elf. "Winky won't say. Won't betray my family."

"But Mr. Crouch isn't your family anymore," Hermione said, causing the house elf to let out a wailing moan of a cry.

"Very well Winky," Dumbledore said. "However, that isn't the reason I asked to see you."

"It's not?" Winky asked as she looked up at him.

"No," said Dumbledore. "You see, I asked you here because I have a family that is looking to hire and bond to a house elf, and you were the very first one that came to mind."

"Who?" asked Winky.

"Us," said Lily. "I'm Lily, and this is my husband James. And Harry over there is out son."

Winky turned to look at James and Lily and her eyes grew even wider than normal for a house elf. She began muttering something, and a moment later, Twidget looked at the two of them with the same wide eye expression.

"Is it something I said?" Lily asked.

"It's not Winky's place to say," the house elf said. "But yes… Yes, Winky would be honored to serve ones such as yous."

"Alright then," James said. "Winky, if you'll come here."

Winky quickly got to her feet and rushed over to stand in front of James.

James placed his hand on Winky's head and said, "Do you promise to faithfully serve the house of Potter and all its heirs and family until the time of your passing or you are released from your service?"

"I's do," answered Winky.

"Then I bond you to the family magic," said James. "May it grant you life and magic, so mote it be."

Light and energy seemed to transfer along James' arm and down into Winky, who started to glow a brilliant and blinding white that caused everyone in the room to shield their eyes. When the light finally faded, Winky was now wearing a very crisp and clean white pillow slip with the Potter family crest stitched into the left shoulder.

"Thank you," Winky quietly said as tears of happiness ran down her cheeks. She quickly wiped them away and asked, "How may Winky serve you?"

"Well… We really don't have much for you to do now," said James. "We sort of don't even have a house at the moment. So for now, why don't you help out around the school. Once our housing situation is taken care of, I'm sure we'll have plenty of work for you to do."

"As master wishes," Winky said with a bow before she popped away, quickly followed by Twidget.

"Now that that is taken care of, shall we tuck in?" Dumbledore asked, receiving nods of agreement from everyone else.

It wasn't long after everyone had loaded up their plates and started to eat when Fawkes returned in a flash of phoenix flame, nearly startling everyone but Dumbledore at the table. The magical bird landed himself on Dumbledore's shoulder and lowered his head so the man go receive the letter it held in its beak.

"Thank you Fawkes," Dumbledore said as he took the letter. As he started to unroll it, the bird took flight back over to his perch. "Ah, excellent."

"Good news, I take it," said Lily.

"Very," answered Dumbledore. "Before you arrived, I sent a letter to Ragnok, informing him of your situation. He has agreed to personally oversee the verification ritual later today, and if everything goes as it should and you are proven to the goblin nation that you are who you claim to be, will have the main Potter accounts returned to the status they were before your deaths."

"Ragnok, really?" asked James.

"Who's Ragnok?" asked Harry.

"Ragnok Underskull the seventh," said James. "He's not only the head of Gringotts, but third in line for the throne of the goblin nation."

"Second actually," said Dumbledore. "One of his older brothers unfortunately befell a nasty trap while on a curse breaking mission in South America five years ago."

"Good to know," said James. He then saw the confused look on his son's face. "When dealing with goblins, it's good to be abreast of their station in their family line. Also, always remember to be respectful, but also firm. Trust me, you never want an angry goblin handling your money. They can easily go from being someone that can earn you millions in gold, to one who nearly bankrupts you through poor investments if they so wish."

Harry just nodded his head, feeling a little confused and awkward. He was really starting to see that despite what people had told him about his parents, he really didn't know them at all.

OoOoOoOoOoO

In a room in a very old and run down mansion, sat something living. Though, to look at it, you wouldn't define it as such, as it was twisted and frail. It had the slightly humanoid shape of a baby, except for its lack of a nose, fang like teeth, and blood red eyes. This was all that was left of the once powerful dark wizard known as Lord Voldemort.

Voldemort sat wrapped in a blanket to ward off the chill, despite the warmth the fire filled the room with, which he stared deeply at. His mind was preoccupied with many thoughts at the moment. The ritual to regain his body and his plans to take over the wizarding world in Britain. Many believed he had the desire to rule the entire world, however that was farther from the truth. All he wanted was Britain, the rest of the world be damned for all he cared.

Suddenly, the weakened dark wizard let out a painful groan. It was the first in the past few hours, and it altered his train of thought. He could feel himself growing weaker as the hours ticked by, yet he could not think of a reason why. Wormtail, the incompetent fool that he was, performed the ritual to create this small form perfectly. That, along with the potions he had to take every twelve hours should have kept him going for a full year before the body started to deteriorate. Yet he could slowly feel his hold on the living world slipping away. And the only reason for that would be…

"Impossible," Voldemort spat as his eyes narrowed. "No one knows of them, and even if they did, I hid them in places none would ever find them. Unless… Oh, Lucius, you foolish bastard."

Voldemort suddenly recalled something Wormtail had mentioned about his time living with those blood traitors. Their youngest child, a daughter, had been possessed and opened his birthright, the Chamber of Secrets. He dismissed what the cowardly man said, as none but himself could open the chamber. However, now thinking more on it, it might have been possible. If the young girl had come into contact with one of his soul anchors, it might have been powerful enough to ensnare her if she opened herself to it. But what would a young girl open herself to so easily? A diary of course. Voldemort remembered after he split his soul and placed the broken piece of it into the diary, he had written in it, only to discover that it wrote back. Or more accurately, his part of his soul wrote back.

But why would Lucius give away something he made the man swear to protect at all costs?

"Wormtail?" the dark wizard called out.

"Yes, master," Wormtail said as he scurried into the room and kneeled before the chair his master was occupying.

"Tell me again about what happened to the youngest Weasley," Voldemort said. "And this time, spare no detail, no matter how insignificant your feeble brain thinks it is."

OoOoOoOoOoO

 **A/N** : So, what did everyone think of my history of house elves? As for Lucius... Well, you don't really think I'm gonna spoil that now, do you?

Next chapter… A trip to Gringotts.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

Six armored goblins stood at the ready, heavy looking spears in hand. Swords were sheathed at their hips. Their eyes cold and emotionless as they stood flanking the large private floo. And there, standing ten feet in front of the floo, dressed in the finest tailor made goblin silk suit, stood Ragnok Underskull the seventh.

The immaculately dressed, yet imposing looking goblin pulled out a pocket watch and checked the time.

"Three… Two… One," he said, and suddenly the orange flames flared and turned a bright emerald green.

He watched as what appeared to be a young human male tumbled out and landed on the floor in a heap.

"Hmph," he grunted as he looked down at the human, who was soon joined by a young female human with what appeared to be a large brown bush on her head.

"Humans have the oddest taste in fashions," he muttered to himself.

A moment later, an adult male and an adult female stepped confidently out of the large fireplace.

"Master Underskull," James said, bowing before the goblin and showing the back of his neck. Revealing such a position was a sign of trust within the goblin nation, as it was quite easy for one to be beheaded in such a position.

"You are the one that claims to be James Charlus Potter?" Ragnok asked.

"I am," James said as he stood back up.

"We shall see," Ragnok said. "However, before we continue and any time is wasted, I must inform you of the consequences if the test proves you false."

"Proceed," said James.

"If the test proves you and the human female false, you will be dealt with in accordance of the laws of the goblin nation," said Ragnok. "You will be considered thieves, and you and your entire party shall be executed, your severed heads displayed out front for others to see what befalls those that attempt to steal from Gringotts, and the rest of your remains shall be fed to the dragon guarding the lower vaults. Do you have any questions?"

"None," answered James.

"Do you still wish to proceed with the knowledge I have given you?" Ragnok asked.

"We do," answered James.

"Very well," Ragnok said. "If you and your party shall follow me, we can proceed with the test."

Ragnok spun on the heel of his finely polished boots and proceeded to lead the group out of the room and down a series of twisting halls. Hermione tried to make a mental map of where they were going, but several times she could swear that they had gone in a complete circle.

"Don't bother," Lily whispered to the bushy haired witch. "Beyond the lobby of Gringotts, the place is like a maze. They built it as such to confuse anyone not linked to the building by magic. Only a few witches and wizards are granted access to the knowledge, and even then they must be very trusted and high placed within the bank."

"Oh," was all Hermione said.

"Here we are," Ragnok said as they finally came to a stop before a set of plain looking doors that looked just like every other single door they had passed. "Last chance to back out."

When neither James, nor Lily said anything, the goblin nodded and opened the door.

They entered a large conference room with a long table placed running down the center of the room.

"Have a seat," Ragnok said as he sat down at the far end head of the table. "The tester shall be here in a moment."

The four of them each took a seat, and it was only a matter of moments later when the door opened and a goblin carrying a metal chest walked into the room.

"Who?" the new goblin asked as he set the heavy chest on the table with a loud thud.

"Those two," Ragnok said as he pointed at James and Lily.

"Very well," the goblin said. "My name is Grimlock Axegrinder, and I am the designated tester of identities for Gringotts. Have you been informed of the consequences if the identities you claim to be should prove false?"

"We have," answered Lily.

"Good," said Grimlock. The goblin then ran a very sharp claw along the lock of the chest, causing it to pop open. He lifted the lid and pulled out a very old looking box. He set that on the table and opened it, pulling out a quill. However, this quill looked nothing like the kinds you could buy at Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop, and rightfully so. This was a Blood Quill, considered illegal within the wizarding world outside of Gringotts. He then pulled out a sheet of parchment and set them both in front of James.

"Mr. Potter, if that is truly who you are, please sign your name on the parchment," Grimlock said.

James picked up the quill and said, "I hate these bloody things," and then proceeded to write his name.

Grimlock quickly snatched up the parchment as soon as he had finished writing the last letter of his last name, and studied it very carefully.

"Interesting," the goblin said. "Congratulations Mr. Potter. You are who you claimed to be."

Grimlock then crumpled up the parchment and with a snap of his clawed finished, it burst into flame and vanished.

"Now for the lady," he said, setting the blood quill and a fresh sheet of parchment in front of her.

Lily used the quill to write her name, and just as before, Grimlock was quick to snatch it away and study it.

"Very good," Grimlock said. "The Lady Potter is as she claims to be."

Once again he crumpled up the parchment and snapped his fingers, causing it vanish in flames. He then placed the blood quill back into its box, and the box back into the chest.

"Will there be anything else today?" the goblin asked.

"None," said James. "Thank you, and may your enemies blood run cold at the sound of your voice."

"And may your riches be bountiful and pure," responded Grimlock with a bow before he left the room.

"I assume you would now wish to speak to your account manager?" Ragnok asked in a bored tone.

"You assume correct," said James, who was now extremely happy that he and his wife now had official proof that they really were them and not some magically recreated construct given their memories.

Ragnok snapped his fingers and a second later the door opened as a small goblin walked in.

"Yes sir?" the goblin asked.

"Please show the Potter's to their account manager," Ragnok ordered.

"Right away," the goblin said. "If you will follow me."

James, Lily, Harry, and Hermione all stood up and followed the little goblin out of the conference room and down the confusing hallways again until they came to a stop at another unmarked door. In fact, it was then that Hermione noticed that all of the doors were unmarked. Probably as another way to confuse those that shouldn't be there.

"The office of Hookjaw Helscream, account manager to the Black, Longbottom, and Potter families," the goblin said before turning and walking away.

James knocked on the door.

"Enter," a deep voice said from within.

James opened the door and walked into along with the others.

"Hookjaw," James said with a grin.

"Potter," the goblin said with a hint of a growl. "I should have known you'd be back one day, you stubborn piece of…" he then trailed off into speaking gobbledygook as he finished his statement.

"Kiss your mother with that mouth?" James asked.

Hookjaw scoffed before he turned to look at Lily. "Ah, the Lady Potter. A pleasure as always. It gladdened my heart to hear of your recent return to the land of the living."

"I see that news travels just as fast as it used to within Gringotts," said Lily as the goblin kissed the back of her hand.

"Especially news that can be considered profitable," said Hookjaw. "And your return will surely be that."

Hookjaw gestured to a group of chairs in front of his desk for the four of them to sit down before he sat behind his desk and pulled a large tome in front of him.

"So," he said with a toothy grin as he opened the book. "Let's start with how your holdings in the muggle world have been since your passing. Your stocks have grown nearly ten fold over the years, except for two. After consulting with the scryers, as you requested in the last meeting we had in case something had happened to you, it was determined that those companies were a lost cause, and so we liquidated your shares in them. One gained you a two percent profit from the sale, however the other one was a five percent loss."

Hookjaw handed over a sheet of parchment, which both James and Lily looked over.

"Understandable," James said. "We knew these two were risks when we invested, yet the possibility of profit made the risk worth it."

"Very true," said Hookjaw. "Now, onto your holdings in the magical world. I can happily announce that there have been profits all around. But then again, what else is to be expected when you own a portion or every shop in Diagon Alley that sells the required school supplies."

The three of them shared a laugh while Hermione listened on interestedly and Harry sat there uncomfortably. Something that the bushy haired witch noticed.

"Are you alright Harry?" Hermione asked in a whisper.

"Fine," Harry said. "Just… I'll be right back."

Harry started to get up and head for the door.

"Do not wander too far," Hookjaw said. "Otherwise you might get lost in the hallways and it could be weeks before you are found."

"I'm just gonna stand right outside the door," Harry said. "No wandering."

Harry opened the door and stepped outside, closing the door behind him.

"I'll go keep him company," Hermione was quick to say as she stood up and headed for the door.

"Alright," Hermione said once she was outside and the door was closed. "What is it?"

"It's nothing, alright," Harry said. "I'm just being stupid."

"Come on Harry, talk to me," Hermione said. "We're best friends. You know you can always tell me anything that's bothering you."

Harry was silent for nearly a minute as he internally debated if he should tell her.

"Fine," he finally said. "It's them."

"Your parents?" asked Hermione. "What about them? I thought you were happy they were back?"

"I am," he said. "Or I was… I don't know. At first I thought it was brilliant that they were back. I mean, I've dreamed for this day for as far back as I can remember. Even more so when people started telling me stories about them. But now…"

"They're different from what you expected?" asked Hermione.

"Completely," said Harry. "I mean, all this seriousness and business stuff with them, and talking about profits and losses…"

"You don't know, do you?" asked Hermione.

"Know about what?" asked Harry.

"I never brought it up because you didn't," said Hermione. "I just assumed that you didn't like talking about it because you didn't want to seem like Malfoy."

"What are you talking about?" asked a confused Harry.

"Harry," she said, "the Potter family is one of the richest wizarding family lines in Great Britain."

Harry stared blankly at her for a moment before he burst out laughing.

"Oh, that's funny," he said. "You almost had me going there for a second."

"I'm not kidding," said Hermione. "Your family is, well for lack of a better term, loaded. Neville told me about it when he asked back in our first year why you were always wearing such raggedy oversized clothes when you could easily afford clothes that fit."

"I never knew," Harry said. "No one ever told me."

"Not even Professor Dumbledore?" asked Hermione, assuming that the aged wizard would have informed Harry of his family.

"Not even him," said Harry.

"So I guess that means that you also don't know that your family holds a seat on the Wizengamot?" she asked.

"Nope," said Harry.

"Well, it's not really much of an influential seat," Hermione was quick to point out. "More of a ceremonial seat due to your families status as being most ancient and noble. You only hold one vote, while those elected hold two votes. But from what Neville explained to me, whose family is seated much like your own, your family is more suited to rally others into voting a certain direction on bills."

"I see," Harry said. He started to feel a bit light headed at this sudden knowledge of his family. "Hermione?"

"Yes?"

"I think I'm gonna pass out now," he said, and did just that.

OoOoOoOoOoO

 **A/N** : Next chapter… We get to see what else is going on in the world while the Potter's continue their meeting with their account manager.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

"Interesting," Lucius Malfoy said as he finished reading the letter his son had sent him. He folded the parchment and set it aside before he steepled his fingers in front of his face as he sat in his wingback chair in front of the fire in his office. He knew something was afoot at Hogwarts again this year, yet unlike two years ago, this was not of his making. Though, he did wish he had a hand in it.

Someone had found a way to trick the Goblet of Fire into admitting the Potter spawn into the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Having discussed the tournament with the fool of a Minister, he knew what the tasks held. A smile crossed his face as he imagined the boy being eaten by a dragon. It might not be by his hand, but he would finally have his revenge for the brat ruining his plans to destroy the Weasley family, but for also tricking him into freeing his house elf. That was another sore spot him. That blasted house elf had assaulted him that morning, banishing him down the hall. All because he pulled his wand on Potter. If only he could find Dobby. He would make that poor excuse for a house elf pay in quite painful and creative ways. Ways that he had perfected over the years on random muggles he kidnapped from all over the country.

Just as Lucius was starting to fantasize about the current young muggle girl down in his dungeon that he was planning on playing with later, he felt someone cross the wards around his home. What really intrigued him about this was not only was whatever it was, was very small, his personally crafted wards informed him that it carried the dark mark.

Pulling his wand from his cane, Lucius stood up and turned around just as a small, mangy looking rat scurrying into the room.

"Well, well, well," Lucius said as he eyed the rat. "Isn't this a surprise… You know, many believe you to be dead."

Suddenly, the rat started to shift and grow until it was no longer a rat, but a short, fat, balding man with almost rat like features in his face do to his prolonged years spent in his animagus form.

"And many believe you to be a pillar of society," Wormtail said. "Looks like we're both liars."

"What are you doing in my home?" Lucius demanded.

"I bring word from our master," Wormtail said.

"Our master is dead," Lucius said. "Killed by that Potter brat years ago."

"Weakened, not killed," Wormtail said. "You should know better than anyone that our master is far to powerful for a mere baby to destroy. He hasn't told me what happened that night, but I do know enough to know that his mudblood mother played a role in his temporary banishment."

"I think your time as a rat has addled your feeble mind," Lucius said. "If the Dark Lord lived, he would have come to me."

"After you so openly declared that you were never a true follower of his?" asked Wormtail as he started to walk around the room, looking at the various artifacts. "That you were cursed into following him? I must admit, even I was surprised you and the others claimed that. I mean, so openly stating that you are of weak mind. Tisk, tisk."

Lucius was taken aback by Wormtail's words. Long gone was the weak, sniveling man that he had known years ago when he joined the ranks of the Death Eaters. Now before him stood a man of confidence.

"Why are you here?" Lucius asked.

"To inform you that our master wishes to meet with you," Wormtail said.

"Then let him come here," Lucius said.

"I'm afraid that isn't an option at the moment," Wormtail said. "He is still in a weakened state. Though, come this spring, that will no longer be the case."

"What are you talking about?" asked Lucius.

"Not my place to say," said Wormtail. "Now, shall we?"

"Allow me to get my cloak," Lucius said. However, before he could move, Wormtail grabbed his arm and he suddenly felt a pull behind his navel.

"You little shite," Lucius snapped when they arrived where the Portkey had taken them. "How dare you lay a hand on me, let alone transport me without my consent."

"Do not be angry at Wormtail, Lucius," a cold voice spoke from behind him. "He only acted on the orders I gave him."

"My lord," Lucius said as he quickly spun around, dropped to his knees and looked down at the floor, as none dared to look directly at the Dark Lord without his approval.

"Ah, so you do still serve me," Voldemort said. "And here I was led to believe that you had turned your back on our cause."

"Only a ruse, my lord," Lucius said. "Lies told to prevent me from being sent to Azkaban. In that time, I have continued your ways. I have positioned myself deeply within the Ministry of Magic. I hold many influential people within my pocket thanks to bribes and blackmail."

"I see," said Voldemort. "That is very good. And what of the object I swore you to protect?"

Lucius gulped nervously. After arriving, he had hoped his master wouldn't ask about that.

"I beg your forgiveness my lord," Lucius said. "But it was lost."

"Lost?" asked Voldemort. "Or given away to a young girl?"

Lucius glanced over at Wormtail, who stood in the corner, grinning like a fool. He would see that rat cut down for sure for his betrayal.

"Lucius Malfoy," Voldemort said with a sigh. "You were such a trusted follower. Granted access to my inner circle. And how am I repaid? CRUCIO!"

Lucius fell to his side as he suddenly felt a million burning hot needles touch every single nerve within his body.

"It truly is a shame you have betrayed me and failed me so," Voldemort said as he watched Lucius writhe around on the dusty floor. "Plans have already been put into motion for not only my return, but for the death of all those who opposed me before my fall from grace. A fall which I have come to learn needed to happen. I believed myself invincible. One could say god like even. And while I had taken steps to prevent myself from dying, I still lived within a mortal shell. A problem I aim to rectify after I regain my former body."

Voldemort lifted the curse and watched as Lucius twitched on the floor as he curled up in the fetal position.

"Wormtail," he said, and the rat-like man rushed over and grabbed one of Lucius' arms and began to drag him over to circle of runes that had been drawn on the floor earlier.

"Sadly Lucius, you will not be there to see any of it," Voldemort continued. "But worry not… Once I return to my body, I will visit your family and send them to join you in death. Nagini?"

From out of the darkness, a gargantuan snake slithered towards her master, coiling itself around the base of the chair he sat in.

"Goodbye Lucius," he said. "Know that your death will have more meaning for me than your life ever did. Avada Kedavra."

The jet of green light struck Lucius where he lay, ending his life in the blink of an eye. Voldemort then pointed his wand at his own frail chest and began to quietly chant. A glowing ball of light soon came out of him and split in half. Using his wand, he directed the broken piece of his soul down into the snake while the other half reentered his body.

Once his broken bit of soul was within the snake, he could feel his connection with his familiar grow stronger, causing him to smile. He would defiantly need to explore this new connection further and see of what use it could be to him.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Amelia Bones, head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, sat in her office going over the reports from the nightshift. Nothing more than the usual. A couple of drunks brought in to sober up in the tank. Mundungus caught trying to sell possibly stolen goods. A hag arrested trying to solicit a young boy. That last one made her shiver slightly. Hags had started to become a real problem of late in Britain. They would try to entice young boys, wizard or muggle, they didn't care which, into sleeping with them. Then after the act, they would cut them open and harvest their organs to be sold on the black market to be used for various dark rituals. She was defiantly going to need to bring this up in her next meeting with Cornelius. It was a problem that needed to be dealt with before it became too large for her department to handle.

She was halfway through the reports when an owl swooped into her office and landed on her desk, extending its leg to show a letter. Amelia instantly recognized it as a Gringotts owl, and quickly removed the letter. Once she did, the owl took flight and left her office. Obviously, no reply was needed to be sent.

Breaking the seal, she unrolled the missive and began to read, her eyes growing wider with each word. With a slightly shaking hand, she set the letter down on her desk and pulled out her wand, which she used to cast a serious of charms to see if the letter was authentic. It was.

Amelia then quickly got to her feet and made her way over to her private floo. "Gringotts, human/goblin relations office," she said after tossing in a pinch of powder and then stuck her head into the emerald flames. She kept her eyes closed until she felt the spinning stop, and then opened her eyes to see a man sitting at his desk, looking bored.

"Hello Robertson," Amelia said, nearly causing the man to fall out of his chair in surprise.

"Madam Bones," he said, once he noticed her head floating in the fireplace. "To what do I owe the honor of this call?"

"I just got a very interesting letter from Gringotts," Amelia said. "I want to know just who the hell there is playing pranks like this, because I can promise you, I do not find it funny in the slightest."

"What are you talking about?" Robertson asked.

"I just received a letter from Gringotts informing me that as of this morning, they have confirmed that James and Lily Potter are alive," Amelia said.

"Impossible," said Robertson. "If the bank issued such a statement, news of it would have come through my office."

Robertson gestured to his desk, which is when he noticed a sheet of parchment on it. He quickly grabbed it and read it. And while it contained the same information that Amelia had received, his had a few more details.

"Oh my," he said. "It would seem that early this morning, two individuals claiming to be James and Lily Potter arrived via the private floo entrance by way of Hogwarts, along with two other unnamed individuals. They were then taken to Ragnok Underskull the seventh's office, where they were met by a Gringotts tester, who tested their blood against the blood the bank keeps on file. It was a perfect match… James and Lily Potter really are alive."

"But that is not possible," Amelia said. "No one comes back from the dead. Not without some dark ritual."

"The tester checks for such things," Robertson said. "Believe me when I say that it is impossible to fool the blood test performed by the goblins."

"Are they still in the bank?" Amelia asked.

"I don't know," Robertson said. "I've been in my office since I got here. Believe me, the goblins aren't the most friendly towards me, since my position was one forced on them during the last treaty that was signed over three hundred years ago. In fact, my predecessor gave me a piece of advice. Watch out for any goblins that may try to stab me in the back… Literally."

"Can you find out if they are still there and let me know?" Amelia asked, cutting the man off before he decided to continue to ramble on.

"I'll floo call you just as soon as I find out," said Robertson.

Amelia nodded and pulled her head out of her end and stood back up just as the door to his office burst open.

"Amelia, what the bloody hell is going on?" Cornelius Fudge asked as he stormed into her office, waving a sheet of parchment in the air. Obviously he had received the same notification about the Potter's.

"I'm already looking into it," said Amelia. "And thank you for knocking by the way."

"Looking into it?" asked Fudge. "What is there to look into? It's obviously they are some kind of frauds. I want them arrested right now."

Amelia rubbed the bridge of her nose, trying to stave off the migraine the man was starting to create. She hated dealing with Fudge when he got himself into a holier than thou mindscape.

"Cornelius," she said as she pulled out her monocle and placed it over her eye, "I just got off the floo with Gringotts. They administered a blood confirmation test. They really are who they say they are."

"Then it's dark magic that has brought them back," said Fudge. "So send out your aurors with orders to destroy them according to the law."

"Don't you dare spout off the law to me," Amelia said, a slight edge to her tone. "I've forgotten more laws than you've taken bribes to ignore them."

Cornelius was taken aback by the witch before him. Not that she had accused him of taking bribes, because he had. Quite a few of them since he had taken office. It was the fact that she knew about it at all. He had been so sure that he had been careful in keeping it a secret.

"Now… I am in the process of trying to meet with them," Amelia said. "However, since their identities have been verified and confirmed by Gringotts, as according to the treaty we have with them, we have to acknowledge that they truly are James and Lily Potter. So, my suggestion is you return to your office and get one of your little sycophants to draft up a press release and be ready to send it off to the Daily Prophet. Because people will find out. Sooner rather than later, and it will be best for the Ministry to at least give the impression that we know what the hell is going on."

Fudge mulled over what Amelia had just said. If he spun the story just right, he could even gain some more popularity from the voters. He could already see the headline for that night's special edition of the Prophet.

"You're right," Fudge finally said. "I'll get my people working on it and get it printed in tonight's edition of the paper. Or better yet, a press conference. Hearing the words directly from me would be much better for my re-elec, I mean for everyone's morale."

Without even waiting for a response, the Minister quickly turned and walked out of the office.

Amelia went back to her desk to sit down, when another owl arrived. Unlike the first one, this one was known to her.

"Hello Artemis," Amelia said.

The owl hooted and lifted its leg.

"A letter from Susan, I see," she said as removed the letter.

 _Dear Auntie,_

 _I am so mad right now, I could scream. In fact, I have. Multiple times, along with many others in my house. As you already know, they are having the Tri-Wizard Tournament this year at Hogwarts. Well, last night was the night they selected the champions, and the most amazing thing happened. Cedric Diggory was picked to represent our school. A Hufflepuff finally getting a bit of the spotlight. Finally, everyone will see that we're not just a house full of duffers. Or so we all thought. Just as Professor Dumbledore was about to send the rest of us off to bed, the Goblet of Fire spat out another name._

 _Harry fucking Potter._

 _Yes, I swore. Chastise me later for it. Right now, I'm so mad, I don't care. Somehow Potter has managed to cheat his way into the tournament. He's stolen our chance to finally prove our house to the rest of the school. Everyone in my house is beyond livid right now. A few even want to curse him for it. Not that I will be doing that, as you've raised me better than that. But the way I feel right now, I don't think I will do anything to deter others from doing so._

Aside from this injustice against our house, things are going well this year…

Amelia finished reading the letter from her niece about how her classes were going, friends, and a young wizard she had developed a crush on. However, that was the furthest concern on her mind. What she was wondering was just what the hell was going on at Hogwarts. This wasn't the first time her niece had made mention of something happening at the school and the rumor that Harry Potter was somehow involved. Now this. Plus, she remembered Robertson mentioning that the Potter's arrived at Gringotts through the floo system via the school.

Perhaps it was time for her to make a sudden appearance at the school and find out just what was going on.

OoOoOoOoOoO

What was going on was that chaos was just getting ready to erupt within the school. Having not been down to the Great Hall for breakfast, Dumbledore had missed the growing tension between the students. Most notably between those in Gryffindor and Hufflepuff. The students in Ravenclaw didn't want to have anything to do with what was going on, while the students in Slytherin whispered and plotted, waiting to see what would happen, though silently hoping that Hufflepuff would win this sudden and new unspoken war between houses.

Even the staff at the head table seemed on edge, waiting for the inevitable spark on this powder keg of a situation to suddenly explode.

Suddenly, that spark walked into the Great Hall, and his name was Draco Malfoy.

Draco walked into the Great Hall flanked by his hired thugs… Friends, Crabbe and Goyle, each of them carrying a crate in their thick arms. Instead of heading for the Slytherin table, he made his way over to the Hufflepuff table.

"Good afternoon my fellow students," Draco said.

"Shove off Malfoy," Hannah Abbot said as she gave the white haired boy a distasteful look.

"You wound me Abbot," Draco said as he placed a hand over his chest. "I only come to show my support for Diggory."

"Bullshit," said Justin Finch-Fletchley.

"No, it's true," said Draco. "In fact, me and mine spent all morning making these for anyone that wants to support the one and only true Hogwarts champion."

Draco reached into the crate that Crabbe was holding and pulled out a button, which read "Support Cedric Diggory – The True Champion" and had an image of Cedric's smiling face in the center, which occasionally winked.

"Wow," said Susan Bones as she took one. "Thank you Malfoy. Maybe you're not a complete little toe rag after all."

For a brief moment, Draco's eye twitched and a return insult danced on the tip of his tongue. However, he held it back and smiled, knowing that the best was yet to come with his little plan, just as soon as Potter showed his stupid face.

"I am simply just misunderstood due to Potter and his ilk," Draco said. "Sadly, he brings out the worst in me."

"Yeah, he's having that effect on a lot of people lately," Hannah said as she took a button and pinned it to her robes.

Soon, the contents of both crates were handed out to everyone at the Hufflepuff table, the Slytherin table, and a few students from Ravenclaw. The only table completely devoid of the buttons was Gryffindor, whom all the students looked like they wanted to curse every single student wearing a button.

Meanwhile up at the head table, Dumbledore was thinking that perhaps after lunch, classes be postponed for a short bit while he gathered the staff for a meeting.

OoOoOoOoOoO

"Thank you all for joining me," Dumbledore said as he looked around the room at the members of the Hogwarts staff. "I know most of you have classes to be teaching right now, but there are a few things that must be addressed right away. First is the issue between the students. Since last night, tensions have been growing."

"You mean since Potter cheated his way into the tournament," said Snape.

"Severus, I will warn you know, it would be best if you curtail your animosity towards Harry," Dumbledore said.

"I will not bow down and suck up to that brat just because of his fame," said Snape.

"That isn't the reason why," said Dumbledore.

"Then why?" asked Snape.

"I wanted to discuss the student situation first," Dumbledore said. "However I guess fate has demanded that I bring up the other issue instead."

"Albus, what is it?" Professor Sprout asked.

"Late last night, something strange, yet joyous happened," Dumbledore said. "Through magics of old and by the Powers That Be… James and Lily Potter have returned."

Everyone in the room stared at the aged wizard as though he had finally gone off the deep end.

"I'm sorry Albus, but could you repeat that?" Flitwick asked.

"James and Lily Potter have been brought back to life," Dumbledore said. "They arrived late last night, and early this morning, traveled to Gringotts where they were given the blood test ritual, which confirmed their identities."

The entire room exploded into near chaos as everyone tried to talk at the same time. The only one to remain quiet, besides Dumbledore, was Professor McGonagall, who had known about their return after she had brought Harry to Dumbledore's office in the middle of the night. Though even after seeing them herself, she still had trouble believing it. Even going as far as convincing herself last night that it was just a trick of her imagination and being over tired. It was the only way she was able to get back to sleep last night.

Snape was a mixture of feelings. A part of him was overjoyed, as it meant that he had another chance to see Lily again. While another part of him was enraged because his nemesis had returned. And loathe he was to admit it, James was just slightly a better duelist than he was. Something he was sure to be reminded of when the man found out how he not only had been treating his son, but that he was the one who had informed the Dark Lord about the prophecy which set him after their child and cost them their lives.

"Gibble," Snape quietly said over the sound of everyone still talking, and a house elf appeared next to him.

"Yes Professor, sir," the little house elf said.

"Gnomish vodka," the potion master said. "And bring the bottle."

OoOoOoOoOoO

 **A/N** : Next chapter… Wands and Lily learns the dark truth of Harry's childhood.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

Lily was worried. Ever since they finished their meeting with the Potter account manager, Harry had been quiet and distant. It had started when they left the bank to head over to Ollivander's to get herself and James new wands, since their old ones had been destroyed on the night they died. Using hooded cloaks given to them by their account manager so as to not cause a scene or a panic when two well known dead people started walking around Diagon Alley, they made their way over to the shop.

Mr. Ollivander was in the process of stocking his numerous shelves with a new group of wands he had just finished making, when the bell on the door tinkled. Turning to greet his customers, he dropped the boxes he was carrying when the two adults removed their hoods.

"Merlin's beard," he gasped as the boxes clattered to the floor around his feet. "How…"

"Magic," James said with a bit of a shrug and a grin.

Ollivander stared at the two of them for a moment before his eyes turned to Harry.

"I knew we could expect great things from you Mr. Potter," Ollivander said. "But nothing as great as this."

Harry shuffled his feet nervously as he looked down.

"How do you know it's really us?" asked Lily.

"My dear Miss Evans, pardon me, Mrs. Potter," Ollivander said, "one does not spend over sixty years working with magical items in building wands and not learn to see magic."

"You can see magic on us?" asked James.

"Not at all," said Ollivander with a smile. "You look exactly to me as you did all those years ago when you first came into my shop… Normal."

"Oh," said James.

"So, I guess you are here because with you being back, you need new wands?" Ollivander asked, and without waiting for an answer, snapped his fingers, causing a rolled up tape measurer to start measuring both James and Lily while he started to pull various boxes from his shelves.

"Mr. Potter, eleven inches long, mahogany and dragon heart string, more suited for transfiguration," Ollivander said.

"That was it," said James.

"And Mrs. Potter, ten and a quarter inches long, made from a nice swishy willow and unicorn hair, perfect for charms work," he said.

"How do you remember that?" Lily asked.

"My dear, I remember every single wand I have ever sold," Ollivander said. "Like your son's for example. Eleven inches, made from holy and a phoenix feather core. And Miss Granger, ten and three quarter inches, crafted from a lovely piece of vine wood and a dragon heart string core."

"That's amazing," Lily said as Mr. Ollivander set nearly two dozen boxes onto the counter.

"Mrs. Potter, if you would like to go first," Ollivander said as he snapped his fingers again, causing the tape measurer to return to the counter, where it coiled up. "Remember, the wand chooses the witch or wizard it is most suited for."

"I remember waving wands for nearly six hours before I found mine," Lily said as she took the first wand. She gave the wand a swish and a flick and nothing happened. At least, nothing happened until Ollivander took the wand back, when there was a sudden crashing sound from the back room.

Ollivander quickly ran towards the back, returning a moment later with a bewildered look on his face.

"What was it?" asked Hermione.

"Hm?" said Ollivander. "Oh, nothing really. Just everything in my workshop was levitated and fell to the floor. I believe we found your wand on the first try Mrs. Potter. Ten and a quarter inches, made from ash and a hippogriff feather. As your old wand, very suited for charms work."

Ollivander carefully placed the wand back into its box, which he then handed to her.

"Now for Mr. Potter," he said.

James stepped up and took the wand that was offered to him. He gave it a wave and the glass from the storefront exploded out into the street. Thankfully, no one had been passing in front of the store at that moment.

"No, definitely not," Ollivander said as he used his wand to repair the glass while James set the wand down.

"Sorry," James said quietly.

"Not your fault Mr. Potter," Ollivander said as he selected a different wand from the pile. "Unsuited wands tend to act temperamental if they do not like the wizard holding it. Why, I remember when your father came in for his first wand, eleven inches and made from cherry wood and dragon heart string. When he was trying out wands, he blew a hole in the ceiling."

"Yeah, he told me about that a few days before he brought me to get my first wand," said James, who gave a wave of the wand he was given. Nothing happened.

For the next hour, James tried wand after wand, only to have various mishaps occur or nothing at all.

Meanwhile, Lily was answering all sorts of questions Hermione had about the later years in school, focusing mostly on O.W.L.'s and N.E.W.T.'s. As she answered the questions, she would occasionally glance over towards her son, who was sitting in the chair next to the door and purposefully looking anywhere but where she or her husband was.

"WWWWAAAARRRGGGHHH!" James shouted as flames erupted from the tip of the wand in his hands, trying to avoid pointing it at anything that could catch fire.

As soon as Ollivander snatched the wand from James' hands, the fire stopped. He looked the wand over and frowned.

"This one has been troublesome since I made it," Ollivander said. "I believe I might need to remove it from the shelves and take it apart to find out what is wrong with it."

He tucked the wand away and handed James another wand to try. It took James almost another hour before he found a wand that matched him.

"Interesting," Ollivander said. "Eleven inches, made from oak and the hair from the legendary white stag. The only wand I made with it, as it was quite the challenge to collect the few hairs that I did get. And it was also the first wand I made after the two of you died."

James and Lily shared a look, and while they did, they missed that Harry and Hermione both had their own looks, Harry's was one of surprise while Hermione's was thoughtful.

"That will be fourteen galleons," Ollivander said.

James handed over the galleons and then turned to Harry and Hermione.

"So how about a spot of lunch?" he asked.

"Actually, I'm kind of tired," Harry said. "Can we just head back to Hogwarts?"

"Oh," said James. "Sure… Actually, sleep does sound like a good idea. We have been up since late last night when we came back. And we can always get something from the kitchens."

Lily turned to Ollivander and asked, "Would it be alright if we apparated from inside your store?"

"Of course," Ollivander said.

"Thank you," Lily said with an appreciative smile. At the moment, the last thing they wanted was to go back outside to the apparation point and risk someone recognizing them, even with the cloaks the goblins had given them. At least until the proper announcements regarding their return was made.

"Alright," she said. "James, you side-along Harry and I'll take Hermione."

"Side-along?" asked Hermione.

"It's quote simple dear," Lily said. "You just hold on tight and you'll be brought along with us when we apparate."

Harry and Hermione took a hold of James and Lily's arms, and with a crack, vanished from the shop.

"I knew great things would come from that young man," Ollivander said to himself as he waved his hand, causing all of the wand boxes to return to the shelves.

OoOoOoOoOoO

The four of them arrived just outside the games of the school and began the walk up towards the large wooden doors.

"I guess we should go and see Albus about those quarters," Lily said as they walked into the Entrance Hall of the school.

"Right," said James. "So, um… We'll see you two later for dinner?"

"Okay," Harry said and then turned and headed towards the Grand Staircase.

"It was lovely meeting the two of you," Hermione said, and was about to turn and follow Harry when Lily placed a hand on her shoulder.

"James, dear, would you go and handle the room situation," Lily said. "I need to talk to Hermione about something."

"Alright," said James, a little confused, but sure his wife would explain it all later.

As he walked away, Lily led Hermione into a nearby, unused classroom.

"What did you want to talk to me about?" Hermione asked nervously as Lily pulled out her new wand and cast a series of privacy spells around the room.

"Hermione," Lily said as she turned to look at the bushy haired witch, her shoulders slumping slightly. "Is everything alright with my son?"

"With Harry?" Hermione asked.

"It hurts me to say this, but you know him better than I do," Lily said. "For me, less than a day ago, he was just my little baby boy. So bright and happy and giggling. And now… Now he's a teenager and he just seems so distant."

"Oh," Hermione said, understanding what the woman meant. "I can't say that I know everything about Harry. He's very closed off when it comes to his life before Hogwarts and his summers. Well, his summers when he's not staying at the Weasley's."

Normally, Hermione would never betray Harry's trust. Well, except in their previous year at school when she told Professor McGonagall about the broom. But at the time, they believed that someone was out to murder Harry and she only had the best intentions. Other than that, she would never betray his trust. The only problem was, this was his mother she was talking to about Harry. If it was anyone else, she wouldn't say anything. But with her… Hermione decided that Lily needed to know her suspicions.

"But there are signs," Hermione said.

"Signs?" asked Lily.

"Like when someone hugs him," Hermione said. "Which has really only been me and Mrs. Weasley. He sort of goes all stiff. Like he's not sure what to do and so he just stands there till its over."

Lily sighed internally, as what Hermione had just told her had confirmed something she had suspected when she found out that her son had been sent to live with her sister. Petunia hadn't shown Harry any sort of affection at all. It also made her wonder what else her son had endured while living there.

"Anything else?" Lily asked.

"Just things he says, really," said Hermione. "Little slips that I don't even think he realizes he's making. In fact, he's probably doing it subconsciously. Like he doesn't want people to know, but deep down, he does want them to know so they can help him."

"What kind of things?" Lily asked, dreading what she was about to hear.

"He's been cooking for them," Hermione said. "I think he said he had been doing it for them everyday for every meal since he was five. Then there was one time in our first year when we were all talking about how we got our Hogwarts letters. Obviously, those raised in magical homes got theirs through the regular owl post, and Professor McGonagall brought the muggleborns their letters. That's how the conversation started. All the first year muggleborns in our house were talking about the spells Professor McGonagall used to prove that magic existed. Anyways, when it came to Harry, who everyone was wondering about since both his parents were magical, but he grew up in a muggle home. He just sort of shrugged his shoulders and said that his was mixed in with the regular mail and was addressed to him in his cupboard… And that was just the first one."

"The first one?" Lily asked, trying to keep calm at the thought of her little boy living in a cupboard.

"Well, Harry said he didn't respond right away, and so more and more letters started showing up," Hermione said. "He even said that a bunch of letters came inside a dozen eggs. The letters even followed him when they went on holiday, with a huge stack of them appearing at the front desk in the middle of the night at the hotel they had stopped at."

Lily began to wonder why her son wouldn't respond to any of the letters, when it hit her. It wasn't his choice to not respond. Her sister and her brother-in-law must have prevented him from doing so. As much as she didn't want to hear about the troubles her child had gone through, she also needed to know.

"Hermione," she said, trying to find the right words. "I've heard a little about what has happened here at the school, but only fragments. Do you know any of the details?"

"Kind of," Hermione said. She was now worried that she might get Harry into trouble with his parents if they found out everything that had happened. She even feared that they might take him away. Her parents had threatened to do so twice. The first time was after the incident with the troll and the second was after she had been petrified. After that, she made sure to leave that kind of things out of her letters home and telling them about her year when she saw them during the summer. If they had known about the dementors…

"Hermione," Lily said to the young witch, seeing the look of doubt on her face. "Please don't think I'll be mad at you or Harry for whatever happened. I know neither of you are to blame. And don't think I'll pull Harry out of school because of it either… Besides, James wouldn't hear of it even if I tried to talk him into it."

Hermione nodded her head and then slowly began telling Lily everything of Harry's adventures in Hogwarts. About the troll and the stone and Quirrellmort and the basilisk and the dementors. By the time she was finished, Lily looked as pale as a ghost.

"I see," Lily said in a monotone voice, though inside she was seething with a boiling rage. A certain bearded wizard with twinkling eyes was going to get an ear full when she next saw him. And perhaps it would also be a good time to test out her new wand in a dueling situation.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Severus Snape was making his way back down towards his office in the dungeons after the staff meeting. His mind was racing with so many thoughts. Lily was alive again. Potter was alive as well. The only woman he had ever loved was back. His most hated enemy was back as well. Back and forth his mind went between the two of them, that at first he thought it was an old memory playing a trick on him when he heard it.

Whistling.

Snape stopped in the middle of the hall as he heard the tune he had not heard since he was a student.

Looking around for the source, he found it when a man walked around the corner, whistling the tune.

"Potter," Snape said with a sneer.

James stopped dead in his tracks when he spotted that familiar greasy hair and hooked nose.

"Snivellus," James said.

For what felt like ages, the two men stood at opposite ends of the hall, staring at each other. The tension so thick, it was choking. The air so cold, one would almost expect it to snow.

And then, at the very same time, both wizards drew their wands.

OoOoOoOoOoO

 **A/N** : Wow, okay, so I almost didn't get this chapter written in time. But honestly, I swear, it's not entirely my fault. I've been playing Until Dawn, Mad Max, and Metal Gear Solid V. Not to mention the Destiny 2.0 update that has the game ready for The Taken King release. Also, reading Star Wars: Aftermath. But thankfully, I crushed this chapter out over the weekend. I hope you all enjoy it.

Next chapter… A duel, a pissed off mom, and the head of the DMLE.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

Filch was in a bad mood. But then again, when was he not. However, this bad mood was brought on by the sounds of spells being fired off in one of the hallways. Whoever it was, he promised to himself that he would see them hanging by their thumbs before the day was out. Even if Dumbledore refused.

As he drew closer to the hall were the spells were coming from, the sounds grew louder and louder until he finally rounded the corner where it was taking place.

"Now see here," he started to say, but then quickly ducked when one of the spells hit the wall just a few feet to his left.

"Come on Snivellus, is that the best you got?" taunted James. "Or have the years of sitting on your arse dulled your so called dueling skills."

"Or perhaps I am toying with you," Snape said. "Because when I wish to hit you, you will know it."

"Is that so?" asked James, who sent a bludgeoning hex at his nemesis, who easily deflected it with a shield and sending it smashing into a suit of armor.

Filch, who had taken cover around the corner of the hall, peeked out to see what was going on. Children he could handle, but not to grown wizards. Especially when one of them was a professor.

"Right," he said as he ducked back. "Didn't see it. Someone else's problem."

And with that, he took off running to the opposite side of the castle where there was surely a first year he could intimidate as the sounds of spell fire echoed behind him.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Dumbledore yawned as he sat behind his desk, contemplating if he should take a short nap until dinner as he had been awake since yesterday morning. And while he could take a Pepper-Up potion, he had already drank two of them earlier to get him through the day. There was no chance that Madam Pomfrey would give him a third. He could have asked Snape for one, but with the mood the potions master was in after learning of the Potter's return… Dumbledore felt it best to let the man have a bit of space.

Just as he had decided that a nap was his best course of action, practically hearing his bed calling to him to rest his head on his oh so comfy pillow, the blank portrait reserved for occupants of other portraits around the castle to come and inform him of a emergencies was suddenly filled with six different painted witches and wizards, all of whom were trying to talk at once.

"Please, please, one at a time," Dumbledore said as he held up his hands to get them to quiet down.

"Headmaster," one of the wizards said. "Professor Snape is dueling a strange man in the third floor corridor."

All of the others in the portrait nodded and confirmed what the first had said.

"Tell me, did this man have glasses and messy black hair?" Dumbledore asked, and the painted witches and wizards said yes.

"Oh bother," Dumbledore said, realizing that his nap would have to wait.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Amelia entered the school and made her way towards the Headmaster's office with a purpose. That purpose was to find out what Dumbledore knew about the return of James and Lily Potter and to have him put her in touch with them.

She was just starting to ascend the Grand Staircase when the sound of spell fire reached her ears. Years of training and experience instantly told her these weren't stinging hex's and jelly leg jinx's. They were spells designed to hurt.

Pulling out her wand, Amelia rushed up the stairs, running into Albus as she passed the second floor.

"Madam Bones," Dumbledore said as they ran up the stairs together. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your visiting the school? Nothing wrong with your niece I hope?"

Amelia ignored his question, which in fact raised a question of her own. How could he act so calm when it sounded like a duel to the death was taking place within the school he was trusted to run and keep safe?

Just as they were about to reach the third floor, where the duel was obviously taking place, the staircase they were on started to shift and extend, making it so it now led up to the forth floor.

"My apologies," Dumbledore said. "But as you know, these stairs have a mind of their own."

Amelia was about to say something quite unpleasant about the stairs when someone else spoke.

"Just the man I wanted to see," Lily said as she stormed up the stairs towards Dumbledore.

Amelia's eyes went wide, causing her monocle to fall out, as she looked upon the face of someone she had not seen in many years.

"Lily?" Amelia asked, having trouble believing her own eyes.

"Amelia," Lily said, not taking her eyes off of Dumbledore. "You sir, have a lot to answer for."

"I do?" asked Dumbledore.

"Oh, you better believe you do," Lily said. "I just finished talking to Hermione about her suspicions regarding my son's life living with my sister. Not to mention everything that has happened in this school for the last three years."

"What do you mean?" asked Amelia. "What happened?"

"Perhaps now is not the best of times," Dumbledore said as he gestured to where the sounds of spells were coming from.

"Well, since we're not going anywhere for the moment, it seems like the best of times to me," Amelia said. "Now what events are you referring to?"

"I'm talking about a professor possessed by the shade of Voldemort trying to kill my son in his first year," Lily said. "While he was trying to get his hands on the Philosopher's Stone, which you were keeping hidden within the castle."

"You kept a level eight magical object in a school full of children?" Amelia asked. "The Flamel's had special permission from the Ministry to keep it within their possession with the understanding that it would go right to the Department of Mystery once they decided to pass away."

"Yes, well…" Dumbledore started to say.

"Oh, that's not the worst of it," Lily said. "Did you know that in Harry's second year, someone located and opened the Chamber of Secrets?"

"I heard of the rumors from my niece, but figured it was just that… A rumor," said Amelia.

"Not a rumor," said Lily. "And not the first time it was opened. As a teenager, Voldemort found and opened it, unleashing the monster within, which killed a student. I've been told Hagrid took the blame for it."

"But if You-Know-Who opened it then, who opened it two years ago?" asked Amelia.

"It seemed Voldemort imprinted himself into a diary," said Lily. "A diary which later landed in the hands of a student, which then possessed said student and used their body to open the chamber again… Unleashing a fully grown basilisk. And guess who ended up in a situation where he was forced to deal with the basilisk?"

"Harry," Amelia said, though finding it hard to believe that a twelve year old boy had survived an encounter with such a deadly and dangerous creature. Yet, she knew he was still alive, and based on the look on Dumbledore's face, what Lily was saying was true.

"Tell me Albus, why did you not inform the Department of Magical Law Enforcement of a level five class creature?" she asked.

"I did not know what it was until after Harry had slayed it," Dumbledore said. "I figured since it was already dead, there was no point bothering the Ministry with it."

"I see," Amelia said in a cold, clipped tone. Though while she was mad at Dumbledore, she was also mad at herself for not putting more stock into the rumors her niece had told her about. "Anything else I should know about?"

Dumbledore sighed and said, "Last year, the dementors that the Ministry demanded be placed here attacked Harry on three separate occasions."

"Those dementors were here to protect the school from Sirius Black," said Amelia, defending the Ministries decision to place them at Hogwarts.

"Who was innocent," Lily said.

"Innocent?" asked Amelia. "But everyone knows he betrayed your family to You-Know-Who, not to mention killing Peter Pettigrew and a dozen muggles."

"I don't know anything about what he may or may not have done to Peter and those muggles," Lily said. "But I can tell you that he played no part in betraying us."

"But he was your secret keeper," Amelia said.

"No, he wasn't," said Lily. "It was a lie to protect the real secret keeper… Peter."

After so many years working within the DMLE, very little surprised Amelia. This was one of the rare moments that did.

"Are you telling me that he was innocent of one of the crimes he was accused of?" Amelia asked. "Why didn't this come out during his trial?"

"That's a very good question," said Lily. "Albus, would you like to tell her, or should I?"

Amelia looked at Dumbledore, who had gone quite pale.

"Well, you see," he started to say, when suddenly the stairs started to move back towards the third floor. "This will have to wait."

Dumbledore didn't even wait for the stairs to stop as he leapt up onto the third floor landing and took off towards where the sounds of the duel were coming from.

OoOoOoOoOoO

James and Snape were moving back and forth as they each dodged the others spells.

"Come on Snivellus," said James. "I know you got better than that in your arsenal. Why are you holding back? Afraid someone will find out the truth about you?"

"I fear nothing," spat Snape. "Especially not from you."

"Is that so?" James asked with a smirk. "What about your daddy?"

Snape froze in his tracks for a second as what James had said sunk in. He never had told anyone about his father. No one, except for Lily.

"Yeah," said James. "That's right. Lily told me all about it in our seventh year in order to get me to go easy on you with our pranks. Said that you had enough to deal with at home during the summer, you didn't need it here as well… Didn't you ever wonder why I stopped pranking you during our last year here?"

Snape was now breathing heavily as his rage boiled over inside him. The one person he had ever truly trusted in his life had betrayed him. Betrayed him to his worst enemy. The irony wasn't entirely lost on him.

"CRUCIO!" Snape shouted as he pointed his wand at James, who instantly fell to the floor as he felt a million burning needles stab every nerve in his body, his wand slipping from his hand and rolling across the floor.

"What's the matter Potter?" Snape asked. "No pithy comeback? No cocky little smirk? No…"

Snape suddenly collapsed to the floor, unconscious and his spell ending.

Ten feet away, Amelia stood with her wand trained on the potions master.

Lily rushed past her and over to her husband, where she quickly dropped to her knees and held him close.

"Albus," Amelia said as she kept her eyes and wand trained on Snape, just incase. "I seriously think you and I need to have a little talk about what the fuck is going on in this school."

"I think you're right," Dumbledore said in a defeated tone.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Dumbledore sat behind his desk as Amelia paced back and forth in front of it, while an unconscious and bound Snape sat on the floor in the corner.

"I don't know where to begin," Amelia said. "I mean, leaving the savior of our world with an abusive family? Not reporting crimes happening within this school? Or how about not informing me the moment two people who claimed to be James and Lily Potter showed up? I had to learn about it from a notice from Gringotts for Merlin's sake."

"Things happened so fast last night…" Dumbledore started to say.

"Right now, I don't care about your excuses as to why you didn't floo call me," Amelia said. "Do you understand how huge this is? The parents of the Boy-Who-Lived have returned from the dead. When word gets out, people are going to go nuts. And the press… I honestly worry what Skeeter will write. You know how blindly some follow her articles like gospel. From Merlin's lips to her quill. All it will take is one little mention of the possibility of them being brought back by dark magic and the masses will be demanding that the two of them be put through the veil."

"You're right," Dumbledore said. "But what's done is done."

"In regards to the Potter's yes," said Amelia. "But not about what has happened in this school."

"The Board of Governors were kept abreast of the goings on…" Dumbledore started to say when Amelia cut him off.

"I don't give two fairy farts about the Board of Governors," Amelia said. "Those self serving arses don't care about the school or the children. They only care about the prestige their position gives their already bloated egos. You know that as well as I do."

Of course Dumbledore knew that. It was why he had only informed them instead of the Ministry. If the Ministry had gotten wind of what had happened within the school, he would have been sacked before Harry had gotten out of the hospital wing at the end of his first year. However, he needed to stay at the school in order to protect the students from Voldemort, should he ever gain himself a new body.

"So," Amelia said. "Are you going to tell me the truth, or am I going to have to add a second passenger when I return to the DMLE?"

She glanced over at Snape. As much as Dumbledore didn't want to lose his 'ace in the hole', should Voldemort return, there really was nothing he could do since the man had been caught using an unforgivable. With a sigh, he knew there was really only one option left available to him. Tell her everything and hope she believed him enough to help when the time came.

"Voldemort is still alive," he said.

"I know," answered Amelia, which surprised Dumbledore.

"You know?" he asked. "How?"

"Please, Albus," she said as she finally sat down in one of the chairs in front of his desk. "I'm not a fool. I've spent my life dealing with dark witches and wizards since I left school. And him… He was the worst. Killed countless families, including all of my own save Susan, because I was a thorn in his side. I was on the front lines of the war. Seen him do amazing, yet horrifically terrible things. There is no way someone as powerful as He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was completely defeated by a child still in nappies."

"I see," said Dumbledore.

"Plus, I checked the Ministry death certificates," Amelia said. "There were only two recorded deaths in Godric's Hallow that night, and those people are currently in your hospital wing."

Dumbledore couldn't help but let slip a small smile at that. Leave it to Amelia Bones to continue an investigation while all others considered the matter closed and were celebrating.

"So now that you know that I know," said Amelia. "Where does that leave us?"

"Hopefully working together," said Dumbledore. "I believe he is in the process of trying to gain himself a new body, and I believe the tournament is part of his plan."

"I take it you believe that Harry Potter's name coming out of the Goblet is part of that plan as well?" she asked.

"I do," said Dumbledore. "However, the question still remains as to who had done it?"

"I'll tell you my guess," Amelia said as she looked over at Snape.

"I do not believe Severus was behind it," Dumbledore said. "He might have no love for anyone carrying to Potter name, save Lily. But there are two things preventing him from doing anything that would cause or lead to harm befalling Harry."

"And what's that?" Amelia asked.

"First is a life debt he owed James," Dumbledore said. "The night he died, that debt was passed on to Harry."

"And the second?" she asked.

"An oath he swore the night Lily died," he said.

Amelia thought about it for a moment before she said, "Alright… So he's not involved with that. However, I still will have to bring him in for his use of an unforgivable."

"I know," Dumbledore said. "And it saddens me that he allowed his school years grudge against James to grow, even when he was still dead, and allowing it to reach the point it did. However, what's done is done. There is really nothing more I can do for him."

"Now, before we move on with what has been happening here and what is going on with the tournament, I need to know about James and Lily," Amelia said.

"Such as?" Dumbledore asked.

"Such as, how the bloody hell are they alive?" Amelia asked.

"Magic," Dumbledore.

"You know, I can easily change my mind about dragging you to the Ministry and tossing you into a holding cell," Amelia pointed out.

"Madam Bones, I am very serious," Dumbledore said. He then went on to tell her everything Harry had told him about the old woman and the wishing stone.

"Interesting," Amelia said. "I'll need to talk to my contact in the Department of Mysteries. He might have some kind of record of who that old woman was. And if not, he should at least have something about the magic involved with this wishing stone. While I trust the goblins about them really being James and Lily, I would feel much better knowing who and what exactly brought them back to life."

"I agree," Dumbledore said.

"Now, on to the matters of Sirius Black's innocence," Amelia said.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Dozens of reporters were gathered in the atrium of the Ministry of Magic, waiting for the Minister, who had summoned them all with the promise of an amazing announcement. Most of them figured it was in regards to the Tri-Wizard Tournament. And a few of them even hoped that the ban on the press being on the school grounds had been lifted. Others suspected that the Ministry was about to announce that they had finally captured Sirius Black.

They were all about to find out just how wrong they were.

Cornelius Fudge approached the podium after his Senior Under-Secretary made one final check that he was presentable. It just wouldn't do for someone of his position to have even a single hair out of place after all.

"Thank you all for coming," Fudge said as a few camera flashes went off. "Today I bring you news of the most joyful sort. As you all know, last night was the thirteenth year anniversary of the defeat of You-Know-Who, but also the anniversary of the deaths of James and Lily Potter. Both of whom courageously gave their lives to protect their son and allowed him to defeat one of the darkest wizards our world has even known. However, late last night that has changed. And through confirmation by the goblin nation of Gringotts, I can say to you all that James and Lily Potter have returned from the land beyond."

OoOoOoOoOoO

 **A/N:** Not much to really say on this chapter. I kind of feel like I've written myself into a corner. I want to move on with the story and get to the tournament and the other stuff that happens throughout the year, but I've written so much about other things, I need to deal with them first before I can move on. Oh well, I'll figure it out. And don't worry, I won't allow it to affect the posting schedule. Chapters will be posted on time every other Monday as usual.

Next chapter… A confrontation between houses.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

Dumbledore frowned as he stared out of the window of his office, down at the front gates of the school were dozens upon dozens of reporters were now camped out.

"Damn you Cornelius," he muttered to himself.

It had only been a few hours since the Minister had his emergency press conference, and in that time, every single wizarding publication within the British Isles had rushed out special editions with the news of the Potter's return. And now here they were, like a pack of vultures waiting to descend upon a meal as they hopped to get a glimpse or hopefully, even an interview with the newly revived duo.

"Albus, something needs to be done," Professor McGonagall said as she walked into his office, along with the rest of the teaching staff. "Things are getting nearly unmanageable. I've had to put a top to six fights today between students from Hufflepuff and Gryffindor. It was bad enough this morning, however since students have started wearing those buttons that mention Mr. Diggory being the real Hogwarts champion and switching to say Mr. Potter stinks… There are only so many members of the staff. It is only a matter of time before this powder keg erupts when we can't stop it in time."

Sure enough, that was exactly what was about to happen in the Great Hall.

OoOoOoOoOoO

After a very restless sleep, Harry made his way down to the Great Hall for dinner along with Hermione. He had tried to find Ron, but his former best mate had already gone down with Dean and Seamus.

"How are you holding up?" Hermione asked as they started their way down the stairs.

"I'm fine," Harry lied.

"No you're not," Hermione said.

"Fine, I'm not," Harry said. "This is… It's too freaking much. You know, I heard all these great stories about my parents. My dad, the fun loving practical joker. My mum… Well, to be honest, super smart like you, but with red hair and a fiery temper when she was crossed. But today, in the bank… I know this is gonna sound stupid, but for some reason, I couldn't get the image out of my head of them acting like the Malfoy's."

"Harry, your parents are nothing like them," Hermione said.

"I know," he said. "I know. But it was just… There's so much I don't know about them. And it worries me. It worries me that I might be a disappointment to them. That I didn't grow up to be the son they wanted me to be."

"Oh, Harry," Hermione stopped and pulled Harry into a hug. As usual, he stiffened up at first, but slowly relaxed and just stood there. "You should know, after you left to go to sleep, your mum pulled me aside. She could tell something was bothering you."

"She could?" Harry asked as he pulled away.

Hermione nodded her head and said, "It's a motherly instinct thing. Before Hogwarts, my mum could always instantly know when I had a bad day at school. Your mum was worried about you. And as she and I talked, she wasn't happy."

"With me?" Harry asked, a look of fear in his eyes.

"No," Hermione quickly said. "No, with other people. Your relatives. Professor Dumbledore. She even had some very choice words to say about the Ministry when I told her about the dementors."

"She knows about that?" Harry said.

"She's your mother Harry," Hermione said. "She has a right to know about the things you have had to go through while they were… Gone."

"Dead," Harry said. "They were dead. And now they're not. Ugh, do you know how that messes with your mind?"

"Well, you did wish for them to come back," Hermione said.

"I didn't think it would really work," Harry said. "I mean, yeah, we live in a world full of magic, but wishes… I spent ten years of my life wishing for things to happen, and not once did any of them come true."

"That's not true," Hermione said, earning her a questioning look from Harry. "Look, I won't dance around the issue anymore. I know you didn't have the best of childhoods growing up with the Dursley's. And before you ask how I know, let's just say that you've let a few things slip. Off hand comments that you've made that while taken individually mean nothing, but when put together, they don't paint a very flattering picture. So I can only guess that you've wished to get away from them, am I right."

Harry didn't say anything. He just slightly nodded his head.

"And you did," Hermione said. "Not permanently, but for the better part of each year, you got away from them and came here. So see, in a way, you have had a wish granted before. Just not in the way you expected or wanted. But even now, that wish has been fulfilled even more."

"It has?" asked Harry.

"Honestly, Harry," Hermione said. "Do you really think your parents are going to make you go back to the Dursley's again? Hell, do you even think they'll put you in a situation where you have to even see them again?"

"No," Harry sheepishly said. Honestly, he hadn't even given that any thought.

"Look Harry," she said. "I can't even begin to understand what you're going through right now. But I can give you some advice."

"And what is that?" asked Harry.

"Talk to them," Hermione said. "Sit down with them and tell them how you are feeling. Talk to them and get to know them, and let them get to know you. Trust me, by the time you guys are done, you'll start to move on from all of this and become the family you should have been if not for that monster all those years ago."

Harry was silent for a moment as he thought about what she had said.

"You're right," he said with a sigh. "Of course, you're always right."

"Not always," Hermione said. "Just ninety nine point nine, nine, nine, nine, nine, nine percent of the time."

Harry laughed. It felt good to laugh. Ever since the night before when his name had come out of the Goblet, he had felt like a huge weight was pressing down on him. He still felt that weight, but it was just a bit lighter now.

"Come on," Hermione said. "Let's go eat."

"Alright," Harry said, and started his way down the stairs towards the Great Hall, only to stop when Hermione didn't follow. "You coming?"

"Harry," she said nervously. She had been debating on telling this to Harry all day, and finally decided that he needed to know. He would eventually find out anyways. "There's something I have to tell you…"

OoOoOoOoOoO

"I still can't believe you're wearing that," Dean said as he looked at the Potter Stinks badge pinned to Ron's robes.

"Why not?" asked Ron as he loaded up his plate to the point where food was starting to spill over onto the table. "I support Cedric. And as for Potter… Well, fuck him. Back stabbing bastard."

Dean and Seamus shared a look. All day they had listened to Ron insult Harry at every chance he got.

"Well, I think you're an idiot," Ginny said as she sat down next to her brother.

"Oi, no one asked your opinion," Ron said. "So toss off and go write in a diary or something."

If looks could kill, Ginny would be on her way to Azkaban with the way she was glaring daggers at her brother. The events of her first year had really messed with her head, and it had taken the entire summer just to begin to get over it. There were still times she woke up, covered in a cold sweat from the nightmares she had as her subconscious replayed the things she had done.

After taking a deep, calming breath, Ginny said, "I'm going to pretend you didn't just say that."

"Like you pretend that Harry will actually notice and fall in love with you?" Ron said with a smirk. "Let me tell you something little sister. Harry is a piece of shite, and you're infatuation with him is pathetic. But hey, if you want to keep going for him, be my guest. But don't come crawling to me crying when you end up just another notch on his bedpost."

Both Dean and Seamus thought Ron had gone too far that time and was about to say something to him about it when the red head suddenly screamed and covered his nose.

"How fucking dare you," Ginny nearly shouted as gooey bat shaped creatures started to push their way out from behind Ron's hands.

"What's wrong Weasley?" someone from Hufflepuff said. "Can't handle the truth about what a glory hound Potter is?"

"Sod off," said Katie Bell, who came over along with the rest of the Gryffindor Quidditch team when they noticed a group of Hufflepuff's heading towards the far end of the table. "You just can't stand to accept that maybe the Goblet decided it made a mistake by selecting pretty boy over there and changed its mind to pick a real champion."

"More like cheating fraud," said Hannah Abbot.

"Really?" asked Alicia. "What's Diggory ever done that was so great? Nothing, that's what. Harry's defeated a dark wizard."

"And slayed a basilisk," added Ginny.

"And a butt load of dementors," piped in Fred.

"And how about the time he tried to kill me?" said Justin Finch-Fletchley. "During that dueling club in our second year."

"Shame he didn't finish the job," said George.

"Then we wouldn't have to listen to you prattle on about it now," said Fred.

The situation was growing more and more tense as each side stared at each other.

"And what the hell are you wearing?" the twins asked in unison when they noticed the pin on Ron's robes.

"The truth," Ron said.

"Truth our arses," the twins said.

Fred made to move to rip the pin off of his younger brother's robes when his hand was grabbed by one of the Hufflepuffs.

"You don't get to say who he supports and who he doesn't," the Hufflepuff said.

"Get your hands off my brother," said George, who shoved the Hufflepuff back, knocking him and a few others into some Ravenclaws sitting at their table.

"Oi," one of the Ravenclaw's said, as he shoved a Hufflepuff off of him.

It was at this point that wands were starting to be drawn. Hufflepuffs pointing their wands at Gryffindors. Gryffindors at Hufflepuffs. Slytherins at Gryffindors. And a few Ravenclaws had their wands out while the rest of them were looking afraid and slipping under their house table to avoid getting into the conflict.

This was the scene that Harry and Hermione entered the Great Hall to.

"What the hell is going on here?" Harry asked as Hermione looked up at the Head Table, only to find it empty.

"There's the traitorous bastard," Zack Smith said as he pointed his wand at Harry, along with a few others.

"Traitorous bas… What?" asked a confused Harry.

"They all got their knickers in a twist because the Goblet chose you as a champion," said Angelina Johnson.

"And that's why you all look like you're about to start a freaking war in here?" Hermione asked.

"We're just defending our house," someone from Hufflepuff said.

"Where is Cedric?" Harry asked.

"Don't you dare talk to him," Susan Bones said. "He doesn't want to associate with the likes of you."

"Well, I think he better," Harry said. "Because I want to know why the hell he never said anything to the rest of you about what happened in the other room last night."

"I tried to tell them Harry," Cedric said as he stood up from where he was sitting at his house table, surrounded by a group of friends like bodyguards. "None of them would believe me when I tried to tell them."

"Sounds familiar," Harry mumbled to himself as he looked at Ron, who was scowling at him in return.

"Fine," Harry said loud enough for everyone to hear. He then pulled out his wand, which made everyone with theirs tense up, as he held it up above his head. "I, Harry James Potter, do here by swear on my life and magic that I did not enter my name, ask someone to enter my name, or have any knowledge how my name was entered, into the Tri-Wizard Tournament, so mote it be."

Everyone held their breath as they watched and waited, most expecting the Boy-Who-Lived to suddenly drop dead.

"There," Harry said after ten long filled tense seconds. "Are all you fucking convinced now? Can we all end this ridiculous nonsense and go back to some semblance of sanity around here?"

Slowly, everyone seemed to relax and eventually went back to their house tables or left the Great Hall. However, the room was still full of that awkward tense feeling. It would be a long while before that feeling went away.

"Harry," someone said, causing the raven haired wizard to turn and see Ron standing a few feet away. His face covered with slimy looking bites.

"Ron," Harry said a little coldly.

"I…" the red head started to say. "You see, I… Look, I'm sorry, alright? I should have believed you."

"Yeah, you should have," Harry said, eyeing the badge pinned to his robes.

Ron quickly followed his gaze and when he realized what he was looking it, took it off and tossed it away.

"So… Friends?" Ron asked.

"That depends," Harry said.

"On what?" asked Ron. "Whatever you want me to do, I'll do it."

Harry suddenly got a very evil look on his face as he clenched his fist tightly, remembering what Hermione had told him just before they entered the Great Hall.

OoOoOoOoOoO

"I'm fine," James said as he tried to sit up, only for his wife to push him back down into the bed of the hospital wing.

"Of course you are sweetie," Lily said. "My big strong stag. But since you were hit with that torture curse, you're not going anywhere until Poppy says so. At which point, you and I are going to have a nice long talk about antagonizing people."

"Come off it Lil's," said James. "He deserved it. Plus, he drew his wand first. I was just defending myself."

"And bringing up his father?" Lily asked, and James had the good grace to look away sheepishly.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he said.

"Your voice echoed through the halls," Lily said. "Honestly, I didn't tell you about that so you could throw it in his face."

"I know, I know," said James. "But… Argh, he just gets under my skin. Snivellus always brought out the worst in me. Even after I saved him when Padfoot had gone too far by trying to prank him into running into Moony during his transformation, he tried to curse me. Who the hell curses someone that just saved their life?"

"The same person who had been on the receiving end of countless pranks over the years," answered Lily.

James was about to defend his past actions when the doors to the hospital wing opened and Ron was led in by Dean and Seamus.

"What happened to him?" Madam Pomfrey asked as she walked out of her office and took a look at the bite marks on his face and his bloody and broken nose.

"Well," said Dean as he helped Ron to sit on one of the beds. "First, his sister hit him with some curse that caused bats made out of snot to fly out of his nose and start attacking him."

"Then Harry punched him in the nose for saying some… Unsavory things about Hermione," said Seamus.

"Then the twins forced fed him some candy," said Dean.

"That last one doesn't sound so bad," said Lily.

"Ugh," Ron groaned just before the sound of his bowels exploding in his pants could be heard, causing the two boys to jump back from him as the mess dripped down and out his pants legs.

Both Lily and Madam Pomfrey made disgusted faces as James burst out laughing. He made a mental note to have a serious chat with the Weasley twins. Not only for giving Harry the map, but to also induct them into the Marauders… After talking to and getting approval from Moony and Padfoot of course. It would need to be a group decision after all.

Madam Pomfrey vanished the mess in Ron's trousers, only for him to soil himself again moments later, causing James to laugh even harder. Even Lily, who usually was not a fan of pranks like this, cracked a bit of a smile. She blamed her husband for it, of course. The man was a bad influence on her.

OoOoOoOoOoO

 **A/N** : I really am not a fan of this chapter. The feud between the houses really screwed me over. When I first started writing it a few chapters ago, it seemed like a good idea. But then I realized that I was escalating it way too quickly and needed to neutralize it fast before I ended up writing a scene where a full on war between the houses broke out. So I decided to be a bit cliché and just have Harry show up and swear an oath that he didn't enter himself into the tournament. Sure, things will still be a little tense for a bit, but at least the worst of it is over.

As for what I said last chapter about writing myself into a corner, I do believe I have that problem solved. I'm gonna jump forward a couple of weeks in the story and just start the next chapter off with a summery of everything that happened. This why I can wrap up most of the stuff and move along with the story.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

The past couple of weeks had been some of the most interesting and strange ones in Harry's life.

First came the news that Snape had been arrested. Not just arrested, but arrested for using an unforgivable on his dad. This caused Harry to finally break down and tell his mum and dad what he was feeling. It was a long talk full of tears and hugs, but in the end, Hermione was right. Harry felt closer to them and they started on their journey to becoming a real family. One of the big shocks Harry learned was about why they acted the way they did in Gringotts. It was respect. Respect to the goblins' way of business and life. As much as James would love to joke around and, as he put it, shoot the shit, no goblin would take anything he said seriously, and that could in turn, jeopardize the Potter family fortune. And the last thing James or Lily wanted to do was ruin what centuries of Potter's had built up.

A few days after their talk, James had finally reunited with Sirius and Remus. And with the Marauders back together, their first order of business was clearing Sirius' name. The three of them marched into the Ministry like they owned the place and James demanded to see Amelia. It was a very short meeting between them, and once James explained that Peter had been the real secret keeper, Amelia was ready to sign the parchment that would clear Sirius of all charges. However, Fudge burst in at that moment and tried to have Sirius arrested and sent back to Azkaban. He might not have been a part of the death of the Potter's, but he was still responsible for what happened to those twelve muggles.

"Pettigrew was responsible for that as well, you over bloated sack of shite," said Sirius. "He blew up that gas pipe with a blasting curse, cut his thumb off and slipped out of there in his animagus form."

"And where is your proof?" demanded Fudge.

"I'd say check my wand, but the idiot aurors that brought me in snapped it at the scene," said Sirius. "Right before you, Crouch, and Bagnold all agreed to chuck me in Azkaban without even a farce of a trial… In fact, speaking of which, James, remind me to get in touch with a solicitor. Twelve years of wrongful imprisonment must equal to quite a lot of money I can sue for."

"Quite a lot indeed," James agreed with a smirk. "What do you think Moony?"

"Of hand?" he asked and James nodded his head. "Well, I would say that by the time the Ministry would be forced to pay Padfoot, at least four departments would be forced to close down. Then of course, there is the huge fallout that our dear Minister would have to deal with. Voted out of office within days after. And who knows, he just might be brought up on charges himself for obstructing justice."

"He just might indeed," Amelia agreed. She never was a fan of Cornelius. Especially since he had taken office, he had cut her departments budget every single year.

Fudge had left the room without a single word said, and Sirius had walked out of the Ministry a free man while Amelia sent word to the Daily Prophet about him being cleared of all charges. By the time they reached Diagon Alley to buy Sirius a new wand, almost everyone knew he was innocent.

However, that wasn't that last visit the Potter's had made to the Ministry during the past two weeks. They had to return for the trial of Severus Snape.

One could almost feel sorry for the man as he sat in the courtroom, listening to endless character witnesses be brought in and talk about their experiences as students in his classroom. However, since he tended to be a right arse to everyone around him, no one felt sorry for him. Not even Lily as she had listened to so many people talk about his abysmal teaching. She was surprised that anyone had become and healer or an auror during his time teaching as barely anyone passed their N.E.W.T.'s in potions because of him.

It was also because of this, she had decided to apply for the position of teaching potions at Hogwarts. The class was almost like a complete shift had taken place. Now it was the Slytherin students that dreaded going to the class while everyone from the other houses enjoyed it immensely. While the newly minted Professor Potter had her work cut out for her since she practically had to go back to teaching the basics since Snape had neglected to teach must of what they needed to know. That is unless they were in Slytherin. She found out from Daphine Greengrass that Snape had been teaching special lessons in the Slytherin common room, showing them all the proper ways to brew potions. It was after hearing this that she felt that the ten years he had been sentenced to Azkaban wasn't enough. His refusal to teach the other three houses the same could have resulted in someone being seriously injured, or even killed.

One of the more emotional moments between James and Harry had been the day Harry had shown his parents that he could cast the patronus spell. Both James and Lily were surprised by the power their son had. Though, James was even more awed by it, as it looked just like his animagus form. James had changed right in the middle of the classroom they were in and he and the patronus stared at each other for what felt like the longest time before the patronus nodded its head and vanished.

Things between Dumbledore and the Potter's were a bit strained. While they still respected the man for all he had done for the world, James and Lily were both still very upset with him in regards of his treatment of their son. When James had found out everything that Lily had from Hermione, his first instinct was to find the man and punch him in the nose. However, Lily had managed to calm him down and explain that while it sounded like a good idea, it wouldn't do much in the long run, despite how much she wanted to curse the man into the next century. Instead, they decided to use what they knew as leverage to get Dumbledore to have James added to the Board of Governors of the school. With him in place, it allowed them to be kept abreast of everything that happened in the school, and also allowed them to put forward some ideas to improve the school where need be. However, Lily made a promise to herself that if Dumbledore did anything to put her son in danger again, even unwittingly, all bets would be off and he would learn first hand why Moody had nicknamed her Hellfire during the war.

The press had finally started to back off from the Potter's after they gave a public interview. Of course, Rita Skeeter had shown up to ask the types of questions that she thought would trip them up and allow her to twist their words around in her fashion to make a more interesting article. However, her plan failed gloriously when she tried to insinuate that their marriage wasn't what it used to be and that rumors hinted that they were actually splitting up. Lily just smiled, denied the rumor, and then asked Rita if she would be getting back together with Sirius, since the two of them had gone out during their seventh year at Hogwarts, and hinted about her infatuation with his animagus form in the bedroom. The next day, there were two or three articles about the Potter's and few dozen about Rita and her interest in animagus love, something that wasn't illegal though very much frowned upon in the wizarding world.

Like I said, it was some of the most interesting and strange two weeks of Harry's life. But with his parents back and life at school returning to as normal as can be, he wouldn't change it for the world.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Harry sat in potions class with Hermione and Neville, who Harry had started to grow a closer friendship with since Ron was mostly out of his life. A few days after Harry had asked Neville to join him and Hermione at breakfast, Neville had let slip that Ron had secretly gone behind Harry's back, telling people to stay away, claiming that Harry didn't want to interact with people he felt was beneath him. But Harry reaching out and making new friends proved to the Gryffindor that Ron had been lying.

Today's lesson plan was to go over the positive and negative effects of potions. Normally taught to first years, Professor Potter was still trying to correct the mistakes left behind by her one time friend.

"Alright," Lily said as she looked at the mix of Gryffindor and Slytherin students. "Let's start with something easy. Dreamless Sleep Draught."

Hermione was one of the first students to raise her hand, yet unlike when Snape taught, there were a few other students who raised their hands as well from both houses.

"Miss Granger," Lily said as she pointed at Hermione.

"One of the positive effects is that it can allow the drinker to get a well rested nights sleep after a traumatic event," Hermione said. "One that would either prevent the person from sleeping, or having repeated bad dreams."

"Correct," said Lily. "And for five points, give me a negative of the potion."

"The drinker could become dependant on the potion in order to just fall asleep normally," answered Hermione. "I believe the first documented case was in 1735, where an unnamed wizard became so dependant on the potion, he could not sleep without it, and it took almost three months to flush his bodies dependency on the potion."

"Five points to Gryffindor," Lily said. "Potion addiction is a very real thing. And for most, it tends to start right here in this school, usually in a students fifth or seventh year because of O.W.L.'s or N.E.W.T.'s. A girl I shared my dorm with in my seventh year almost died because she drank too much Pepper-Up potion in order to stay awake and study."

Harry glanced at Hermione and made a mental note to remember to keep an eye on her during those years. She was sometimes so fanatical about studying, he wouldn't put it past her to secretly brew her own stash of the potion to allow her more time to stay awake and study.

Lily was about to continue where there was a knock on the door.

"Yes?" she called out.

The door opened and a young girl who looked to be in her second year and wearing Hufflepuff robes, poked her head in.

"I'm sorry to bother you," the girl said, "but Professor Dumbledore asked me to collect Harry. He's needed for tournament related business."

"Right," Lily said. "The wand thing."

She then turned to look at her son. "Go on ahead," she said. "And take your stuff with you, since I'm sure this will take longer than there is time left in class. Be sure to get the notes from someone about the rest of our discussion and to get the pages for reading."

"Right mum," Harry said, earning him some snickering from others in the class as well as a raised eyebrow from his mum. "I mean, Professor Potter."

Harry packed up his bag and left the room, following the younger Hufflepuff. The two of them walked in silence for a few moments before anything was said.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"Sorry for what?" asked Harry.

"For not believing you," the girl said. "A lot of people in my house are sorry. We just all got so caught up in Cedric's name coming out. This might only be my second year, but I see how most of the school looks down on us 'Puff's. The house of unwanted losers. So it was a huge boost for all of us when the Goblet picked someone from our house to represent the school."

"Until my name came out," Harry said.

"Yeah," said the girl.

"Well, I'm glad everything is sorted out now," Harry said. "And please, tell everyone in your house that I don't hold any bad feelings towards them. I can understand where they were coming from."

"I will," the girl said with a smile. "But, you should know, there are still a few people in my house that don't believe you."

"There always will be," Harry said. Something he had learned recently from his father was to not let the opinions of others weigh him down. As James had explained it to him, if he had let that happen, he would have given up on trying to get Lily to go out with him, which would have been the biggest mistake of his life. Instead, that honor went to accepting Sirius' dare of going skinny dipping in the Black Lake. In December. On the coldest night of the year.

"Well," the girl said. "This is the room Professor Dumbledore said to bring you to."

"Thank you," Harry said, smiling at the girl, who blushed before she quickly ran away.

Harry smiled and shook his head slightly as he opened the door and walked into the unused classroom to find…

OoOoOoOoOoO

James sat in his and Lily's quarters along with Sirius and Remus. The three long time and recently reunited friends were sitting in a sea of old parchment scrolls and books.

"Please tell me one of you has good news?" James asked as he pulled off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose to stave off the headache he felt coming on from so much reading.

"It doesn't look good," said Remus. "I've gone over the rules and regulations of the tournament with a fine tooth comb. I even had Sirius' cousin Andromeda look at it since she's a solicitor and would be better at spotting anything I might have missed. There is no loophole to get Harry out of the tournament."

"The fact that he didn't put his name in doesn't count for anything?" James asked.

"Sadly, no," said Remus. "Not once the Goblet selects him. It created a magical link with him."

"Wait, with him, or the person who put his name in?" asked Sirius.

"With him," answered Remus. "The Goblet of Fire is a very intelligent magical artifact. It finds the witch or wizard that it selects."

"But not smart enough to realize it already picked three champions," said James.

"Which is why Moody thinks whoever put his name is also cast a time delayed confundus charm on the Goblet," said Sirius. "Once it picked the Hogwarts champion, it activated and forgot, selecting the next name on the list of possible candidates."

"Well, I guess that is one slightly comforting, if disturbing thought," said James. "If that Diggory boy hadn't entered and Harry had been allowed, he would have actually been picked to represent Hogwarts."

"How is Moody doing anyways?" asked Remus. "He have any idea who might have done it?"

"No," said Sirius. "He and I have been interviewing suspects, and our list is slowly growing smaller without any leads."

"What about that Karkaroff guy?" asked James. "He was a Death Eater till he got captured and gave up names to avoid Azkaban?"

Sirius smiled and said, "He was one of the first we talked to… You should've seen Moody. Back in his element. Threatened to slice Karkaroff's balls off with a dull potions knife. The man pissed himself… Seriously, how did we lose so many battles against people like him back during the war?"

"Because unlike Betsy Wetsy, there were a few of them that were formidable foes," said James. "Or have you forgotten your cousin?"

"How can anyone forget Bat Shit Bella," Sirius said. "Witch was a few ingredients short of a potion when she was a child. It just got a lot worse as she got older. Mum loved her. Said she was the type of witch she would have loved to have for a daughter instead of having me."

"Your mum wanted you to be a girl?" asked James with a smirk, which caused Remus to chuckle at the dirty look Sirius gave him.

"Stuff it, Prongs," Sirius said. "You know what I meant."

"I know what you said," said James. "And that was that your mum wished you were a girl. Tell me, did she ever try and make you ware dresses as a child?"

"I'm warning you," said Sirius.

"Oh Siriusina," James said in a high pitched girly voice. "Come sit and have a tea party with mummy."

Remus was laughing now, as was James while Sirius scowled and let out a growl. He then pulled out is wand and fired a tripping jinx at James' chair, which caused it to tip over with him in it and land heavily on the floor.

Remus went quiet for a moment before he started laughing again, this time at James.

"I told you," Sirius said as she stood up and walked over to James, offering him a hand to help him up. "But you always gotta keep pushing."

"What can I say?" said James. "I am who I am."

James then pulled out his wand and silently cast a time delayed vanishing spell on Sirius' pants. Six hours from now, wherever he was, someone was going to get to see the Black family jewels.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I have to meet up with Moody," Sirius said. "There are a few students from Slytherin we have to talk to."

"What did you do?" Remus asked as soon as the door closed when Sirius left.

"Time delayed vanishing spell on his clothes," said James.

Remus just smiled and said, "It's good to have you back."

OoOoOoOoOoO

Harry walked into the room and found it full of people. There were the three other champions, as well as the heads of the schools. There were also a dozen reporters and men with cameras. However, the big surprise was the man Dumbledore was talking to.

Ollivander.

Harry wondered what the wand maker was doing there.

"Ah, Harry," Dumbledore said with a twinkle in his eye. "Finally, we can begin. Now, if the four champions would line up here, yes just like so."

The four of them stood in a line in the center of the room, facing everyone as camera flashes went off.

"In the time honored tradition of the Tri-Wizard Tournament, it has always been the duty of the hosting school to provide an expert in the making of wands to check them," Dumbledore said to the gathered reporters. "To verify that they are in proper working order, and to ensure that the champions would be ready for the upcoming tasks. So allow me to introduce Mr. Ollivander, who has been making and selling wands for more years than are fair to count."

More camera flashes as Ollivander stepped forward towards the champions. It was then that Harry noticed that Rita Skeeter wasn't in the crowd of reporters and smiled to himself.

"Mr. Krum, your wand if you please," Ollivander said.

Viktor Krum handed his wand over to the wand maker, who closely inspected it.

"Hmmm, yes," Ollivander said. "A Gregorivitch creation?"

"Yes," Krum said.

"A duel dragon heart string core," Ollivander said. "From two different breeds. Interesting. And carved from iron wood. A very powerful wand for defensive magic."

"And offensive as vell," said Krum.

"Yes, yes," said Ollivander. He then gave the wand a wave, causing a jet of fire to burst from the tip. Once more, the cameras started flashing.

"Very good," Ollivander said as he returned the wand to Krum.

The wand maker then moved on to Fleur, who handed him her wand.

"A beautifully crafted wand," Ollivander said. "Though, I must admit that I am unfamiliar with the maker."

"'et was made by someone who 'ad recently started making wands," Fleur said.

"Ahh, I see," Ollivander said. "A new talent… Vine wood, and…"

Ollivander brought the wand up to his nose and sniffed.

"Is that…" he started to say.

"Zee 'air from the 'ead of a vella," said Fleur. "My grand-mère."

"How interesting," Ollivander said. "I don't use vella hair in my wands. I find them too temperamental. However, I am guessing that since the hair is a blood relation, it suits you quite well."

"Oui," said Fleur.

With a flourish of the wand, Ollivander produced a bouquet of flowers, which he handed to Fleur, along with her wand.

"Ah, now this one is familiar to me," Ollivander said as he moved on to Cedric, who handed him his wand. "Ash and Unicorn hair from a very honorable steed. I see you've kept it clean."

"I polish my wand every night before bed," Cedric said with a self satisfied smirk. "Sometimes my girlfriend helps me polish it. She's quite good at it. Always manages to rub it just right to get the desired results."

Harry looked at his wand and noticed finger smudges and bacon grease on it, and quickly tried to clean it with the sleeve of his robes.

"Very good, very good," Ollivander said, He gave the wand a wave and produced a series of smoke rings. He then conjured a sailing ship out of smoke and directed it to fly through each of the rings before handing the wand back to Cedric and declaring it fit for use.

"And Mr. Potter," Ollivander said. "Our mysterious champion."

For nearly ten seconds, there was an endless stream of flashing lights from the cameras.

"Your wand, if you please," he said, holding out his hand.

Reluctantly, Harry handed the man his wand, and as soon as it left his grip, he felt practically naked.

"I remember you," Ollivander whispered to the wand and he held it gently in his hands. He closed his eyes and held the wand close to his left ear. "Yes… Terrible, but great things indeed he has done. But you… You will refuse to bow to your twins will."

"Ah-hem," Dumbledore said, clearing his throat, which snapped the wand maker out of his daze.

"Right, yes," Ollivander said as he seemed to return to normal. "Another of my creations. The wood is holy, and the core is the feather from the tail of a phoenix."

He gave the wand a flick, and shot out a series of red and gold sparks.

"Splendid," Ollivander said as he handed Harry back his wand. The wand maker then turned to the three heads of school and said, "I declare that the wands of all champions are in perfect working order."

"Very well," Dumbledore said with a smile. "Now that that is out of the way, you may all…"

"Headmaster, what about questions from the press?" Rita asked and she slipped her way to the front of the group of reporters from where she had been hiding in the back. Harry then frowned, upset with himself that he hadn't noticed her hiding in the back. Especially since she was wearing neon green robes.

"Oh, well…" Dumbledore looked around the room. "I guess we have time for a few questions."

"Splendid," Rita said. "Harry…"

"Of course," Harry quietly said to himself.

"… now that you're officially in the tournament, can you tell us how you tricked your way in?" she asked.

"As I said before, I didn't enter," Harry said. "Nor do I know how I was entered into the tournament. I, along with every single other student in this school knows that Cedric is the true Hogwarts champion. I'm just someone that got sucked along for the ride and have no choice but to see my way through till the end."

"Oh, come now Harry, you don't honestly expect us to believe that, do you?" she asked.

"I could honestly give two piles of dragon dung what you believe," Harry shot back.

"How rude," Rita said. "How would your parents react to speaking to a woman in such a way?"

"Well, my mum would probably slap you so hard, she's send you back in time to a point where your robes were in style," Harry said, earning some snickering laughter from the other champions, as well as a few members of the press, who wrote down what he said. He even noticed a slight smile and a twinkle in Dumbledore's eyes. "As for my dad… Well, he'd probably just say you were in desperate need of a good shag and tell you to call Sirius. Honestly Ms. Skeeter, I don't have time to deal with your tabloid journalism. So find someone else to try and make a fool of, because I don't have time to play your games. Now, do any of the real reporters in the room have any questions?"

"Stanley Goodspeed from the Daily Prophet," one of the reporters said. "How do the other three champions feel competing against a forth champion that has less of a magical education?"

"'et will be non challenge at all," said Fleur. "'e iz just a leetle boy. 'et saddens me a bit zat 'e will be made such a fool of during ze first task."

"I cannot say," said Krum. "I do not know his skill. He vay be good. He vay not. Time vill tell."

"I have to agree with Krum on this," said Cedric. "Harry might be a forth year, but there have been some younger witches and wizards throughout history who have been quite skilled. We'll find out if he can handle himself in this tournament after the first task."

OoOoOoOoOoO

Narcissa Malfoy paced back and forth in her husbands private study. It had been weeks since she last saw him. And while it wasn't absolutely abnormal for Lucius to leave for a few days to go Muggle Hunting with the boys, he had always told her he was leaving before hand and always came back within three or four days.

She had contacted the DMLE and filed a missing wizards report, but not to actually file it. She did it to find out if he had been found out and arrested for his little stunt after the World Cup. They took her statement and filed the paperwork as normal, so if they did have him in custody, they were being quiet about it.

Her last avenue of action was to contact the remaining free members of the inner circle. However, a part of her was afraid to do so. She had worked very hard to put that part of their life behind them after her husband had managed to bribe his way out of prison. And while he still partook in that way of life, she had done her best to distance herself from it. She had viewed it as a second chance, and wasn't foolish enough to tempt fate twice.

It was then that Narcissa decided that she would give her husband two more weeks. If there was no word of him by then, she would begin to make preparations to have him legally declared dead by the goblins. Of course, she would then have to deal with Draco. The boy worshiped the ground his father walked on. But maybe it wasn't too late to straiten him out a bit. One could still believe in the supremacy of being a pureblood without resulting to the insane fanaticism that the Dark Lord inspired.

OoOoOoOoOoO

 **A/N:** I do believe it's time for me to enter binge writing mode. Why? Well, there's this little game coming out the day after I'll be posting the next chapter called Fallout 4, which I am 99.99999999% sure will eat into every single second of my free time and cost me countless hours of sleep. So if I don't get a few chapters written in advance, I might not get one written till Christmas. I don't want that to happen, and I'm sure many of you don't want to wait that long to find out what happens.

Next chapter… The Bat-Man of Azkaban


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen**

"I'm gonna kill him," Lily said as she stood up and pulled out her wand as she made her way towards the door.

"Lily…" James started to say, only to find his wife stop and point her wand at him.

"No," she said with a fire burning behind her green eyes. "This is the last straw. I'm going to go up to his office and strangle him with his own beard."

"I get it," he said as he slowly stood up. "You're mad. I'm not exactly thrilled by this either. But what will cursing him accomplish?"

"It'll make me feel a hell of a lot better," said Lily. "I mean, come on James. Fucking dragons?"

"I know," said James. He had just told his wife about what he had seen the night before while running through the Forbidden Forest with Sirius and Remus during the full moon. "However, the old man can wait. Right now, we need to figure out how we're going to help Harry get through this tournament alive."

Lily sighed as she slumped her shoulders.

"You're right," she said as she slowly slipped her wand back into her pocket. "Our son is our priority. But once we figure something out, I am going to have words with Albus."

"You and me both," said James. He then sent off a patronus message to both Sirius and Remus.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Severus Snape sat in his cell in Azkaban, shivering both from the cold due to the thin piece of cloth they called a robe he was forced to wear as well as the effects of the dementors forcing him to relive one of the worst moments in his life. The night he found Lily's dead body.

"She's alive," he tried to whisper to himself every time a one of the demonic guards came by for a snack. "She's alive. She's alive. She's alive." Yet no matter what, the dementors pulled those thoughts away and he was forced to remember her cold, lifeless face.

"Hello Severus," a feminine voice said from the opening of his cell. For you see, Azkaban really had no doors on the cells. Just one large door to each wing. The prisoners were allowed to wander their prison wing freely. It's not as if they could run far from the dementors, and if they managed to get out, the cold, bitter sea would be their end.

Snape looked up to see a pair of wild eyes and unkempt black hair standing before him.

"Bellatrix," Snape coldly said to the witch.

"I must say, I am surprised to see you here," Bellatrix said. "I thought our master was quite clear in his orders for you to remain by Dumbledore's side till he said otherwise."

"Events changed those orders," Snape said.

"I heard," she said as she walked into his cell and sat on the floor. "The Potter's return from death and you foolishly use an unforgivable on him, right in front of the head of the DMLE and muggle loving old fool… Quite amateurish of you."

"And what would you have done?" Snape spat at her.

"Killed them all, of course," Bellatrix said as though she was commenting on the weather. "But then again, I never was squeamish at the sight of a little blood, unlike you."

"Even if I had killed Potter, I still would have been arrested," said Snape.

"True," answered Bellatrix. "But a small price to pay for killing a blood traitor. Plus, think of how the sheep would react to it. James Potter brought back to life, and then… Oops. Dead again."

"Is there a reason you are here, other than to give me a headache?" asked Snape.

"Just checking," said Bellatrix.

"Checking what?" asked Snape.

"If you are still faithful to our master," Bellatrix said. "He's returning, you know? His mark grows more prominent and stronger every day. I can feel his power. And when he does return, he will be coming for us. His most faithful… I just wanted to know if you remained so, or would I be telling him you are a traitor as well. Personally, I care not either way. But, I will say that I wouldn't mind watching him disembowel you for the fun of it."

"Tell him whatever you wish," said Snape. "But don't think you don't have secrets to hide from him as well."

"I've kept no secrets from our master," Bellatrix said as she stood up. "Besides, he will know how faithful I am when he hears how I was one of the few that tried to find him after that night… I do believe he will be most happy to learn what we did to the Longbottom's. Tell me, you've seen their son. Do his eyes still hold that haunted look they did as a babe as I held him and made him watch as I tortured his mother to the brink?"

"I'd be careful Bellatrix," Snape said. "The boy might not seem like much, but when he is pushed, he exudes power. If our master does return and free us, I believe it won't be long before he tracks you down. These walls are the only protection you have from the Longbottom heir."

Bellatrix let out a deep cackle of a laugh as she left Snape's cell. The sound of it echoing through the halls, as well as inside his head.

OoOoOoOoOoO

"A FUCKING DRAGON!" exclaimed Sirius as he, James, Remus, Lily, Harry, Hermione, and Neville sat in the sitting room of James and Lily's private quarters.

"Language," both Lily and Hermione said at the same time before smiling at each other.

"Sorry," said Sirius. "But come on… It's a fucking dragon. Forget fourteen, seventeen is too young to deal with one of those. At least, without proper training at a preserve and have a team backing you up. And they freaking expect school kids to go toe to toe with one, alone?"

"Looks that way," said James.

"As much as I hate to admit it after all he has done for me, I think you guys are right," said Remus. "Albus has lost a bit of his sanity. I mean, dragons as a test of bravery in the face of the unknown?"

"Nesting mothers to be exact," said Lily. "I overheard Hagrid talking about them in the staff room."

"Oh, this just gets better and better," said Sirius.

"What's the big deal of it being a nesting mother?" asked Harry.

"Harry," Hermione said. "A dragon who is a mother guarding her nest can be the most vicious of any dragon, regardless of breed."

"She's right mate," said Neville. "The Welsh-Green, which is the most docile of dragon breeds, will roast you and then eat you if she even thinks you might be a threat to her eggs."

"Lovely," said Harry. "So what am I going to do?"

"That's what we're here to figure out," said James. "Don't worry son. None of us are going to allow you to face a dragon without some kind of plan."

"What about Harry's invisibility cloak?" asked Hermione.

"No, a dragon would still be able to smell him," said Remus.

"Oh," said Hermione, who sunk back into her seat.

"Same if he used a disillusionment charm," said James. "But still, good thinking Hermione."

"What if he used his broom?" asked Neville. "I mean, if it's a nesting mother, then maybe he has to collect one of its eggs. Harry is right brilliant on a broom. He can just swoop right in, grab it, and then fly away."

"Another good thought," said James. "But dragons have fast reflexes. Harry's Firebolt might be the fastest broom out there, but there is still too great of a chance that the dragon can burn him if she predicts his flight path. Not to mention arms, legs, and tails. An attack from four possible directions."

For the next half hour, ideas were submitted and dismissed. That is until one finally came to Harry. Not only an idea, but if it could work, a brilliant idea. A brilliant idea worthy of the Marauders.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Moody leaned back in his seat, his normal eye staring at the person across from him while his magical eye whirled around like mad, trying to look at every direction at once. He reached down and undid the straps holding his wooden leg, which he then set on the table and started adjusting it a little.

"You ever hear how I lost this leg?" he asked, but getting no response from the other person in the room. "No?… It's a fascinating tale. It happened during the war with Voldemort."

Moody smiled as he watched the person close their eyes and shiver at the name.

"I was still an auror then," Moody continued. "We got word that a group of Death Eaters were going to make a play on trying to take out the Minister for Magic. So, we beefed up her security a bit, but also set up a trap as well. Right in the middle of the atrium of the Ministry. Sure enough, right on time, the floo's locked down and anti Portkey and apparation wards enveloped the area. A dead give away that they had someone inside the Ministry, but they were so sure their plan would work, they didn't care. Anyways, they appeared from the shadows and started firing all sorts of nasty spells. It would have been a massacre if we hadn't been ready for them."

Moody finished his adjustments and reattached his leg.

"We thought we got them all," Moody said. "Most of them killed, but a few stunned and bound for questioning. However, it seemed one of them remained hidden. Not sure if it was out of fear, or what. Don't care really. What I do know was that he landed a lucky shot with a cutting curse. Oh, the pain was some of the worst I have ever felt. But you know what I did?"

"What?" the other person asked.

In the blink of an eye, Moody was on his feet. He kicked the table off to the side, pulled out his wand and stuck it in the face of the other person.

"I STABBED THE FUCKER IN THE EYE WITH MY WAND!" shouted Moody.

"Please don't hurt me," Goyle said as he cowered back in his chair and pissed himself in fear.

Moody scoffed at the reaction he got.

"No," he said as he slowly backed away from the fourth year student. "You didn't do it. Nor do you know who did… Too much of a coward. But just remember boy. Remember my face. Because if you ever go to the dark, it will be the last thing you see before I end you. Got it?"

Goyle nodded his head so fast, the grizzled ex-auror wondered if he would snap his own neck.

Merlin, how he missed his old job. As he sent the boy away, he made a mental note to pick up a very nice Christmas gift for James for allowing him a bit of freedom to find out who might have been involved in putting his son's name in the Goblet. He then summoned one of the school elves to fetch the next suspect.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Wormtail was nervous. He had just returned from making his monthly supply run for food and potion ingredients when he spotted a copy of the Daily Prophet from a couple weeks ago. And there, in big bold letters were the words THE POTTER'S RETURN, with picture of James and Lily standing with their son, the two of them looking exactly like they did the night they died.

He knew he had to inform his master of this recent development, and he also knew that bad news was only rewarded with pain. Which is why he nervously paced outside the room his master was currently resting in, delaying the inevitable as long as he could.

"Wormtail," Voldemort's raspy voice called out. "I know you are out there. Come in here at once."

Wormtail quickly debated if he should turn and run, but decided against it. He knew that they second he bolted, his masters snake would be right after him.

"You summoned me master?" Wormtail said as he entered the room and kneeled before the chair Voldemort was sitting in.

"You are afraid," Voldemort hissed. "I can taste it in the air… Tell me why."

"I recently found out some troubling news," Wormtail said. "News regarding the Potter boy that may affect our plans."

"And what news is this?" Voldemort asked.

"Though I do not know how, it appears that James and Lily Potter have returned from the dead," Wormtail said. He then closed his eyes tightly and awaited the pain. However, it never came.

"Interesting," Voldemort said. "Very interesting indeed."

"Master?" said Wormtail.

"I have gone to great lengths to cheat death," Voldemort said. "And now, two who have died by my wand have returned from deaths cold embrace. Wormtail, I have a new mission for you. I need you to find someone else trustworthy to watch over me as I prepare for my return."

"But if someone else watches over you, what shall I be doing master?" asked Wormtail.

"You will return to Hogwarts," Voldemort said. "Watch the Potter's and learn all you can about how they have returned from death."

"O-o-o-of course, master," Wormtail said.

The rat like man started to get up with suddenly he was brought to the ground in pain.

"Did you think I would spare you from punishment for bringing me this news?" Voldemort asked.

Honestly, the dark wizard didn't feel that Wormtail had brought him bad news. But he knew that it never hurt to remind his followers who held the real power. Besides, he also enjoyed the sound of screaming.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Harry left his secret meeting with a couple of people regarding his plan for dealing with the dragon. At first they were skeptical, but after Harry explained it, they thought it was brilliant and assured him that what he needed would be ready in time.

He was just starting to head down to the Great Hall to join Hermione and Neville for lunch when someone called his name.

"Harry," a female voice said.

Harry stopped and turned to see Hannah Abbot running towards him.

"Hannah," Harry said a bit coldly, remembering how vocal she had been after his name had come out of the Goblet.

"Ouch," she said as she stopped a few feet away from him. "I think I might have gotten a bit of frost bite there. Not that I don't deserve it, of course. I have a tendency of jumping to conclusions and sticking my foot in my mouth. Like in our second year, when everyone thought you were the Heir of Slytherin."

"I remember," Harry said. "But is there a point to your rambling? I'm hungry and want to have lunch before charms class."

"Right," she said. "Obviously you want to eat. Anyways, the reason I was looking for you is to tell you something."

"Okay," said Harry. "What?"

Hannah looked around to make sure no one was listening in, which was kind of funny since they were the only two standing in the empty hallway.

"Dragons," Hannah said. "The first task is dragons."

"I know," he said.

"You do?" she asked, surprised by this.

"I do," said Harry. "The question is, how do you know? It is supposed to be a secret."

"From Madam Pomfrey," said Hannah. "I'm planning on being a healer when I graduate, and even though we don't start taking any classes for our future carriers until after we pass out O.W.L.'s, Madam Pomfrey let's me help out on occasion when I have some free time. Anyways, she asked me to help her brew some burn slaves. She didn't say why, but I accidentally overheard her talking to Professor Dumbledore in her office saying that she would have everything ready in case anyone was seriously injured by the dragons."

"And you're telling me this why?" asked Harry.

"Because I feel really bad about how I reacted," Hannah said. "And so this is my way of apologizing to you. But don't think you're the only one I'm telling. I have to tell Cedric as well. I mean, we are in the same house and all."

"Obviously," Harry said.

The two of them stood there in silence for a minute before Hannah said, "Well, I guess I should get going and let you go eat."

She turned and started to walk away.

"Hey Hannah?" Harry called out, causing the blond Hufflepuff to stop and turn to look at him.

"Thank you," he said.

Hannah just smiled, and Harry thought she blushed slightly before turning and leaving.

Making his way down to the Great Hall, Harry joined Hermione and Neville at the Gryffindor table.

"So?" Hermione asked as Harry helped himself to a roast beef sandwich. "What did they say?"

"They're on board," Harry said.

"Brilliant," said Neville. "If this works, people will start to know you as more than just the Boy-Who-Lived. I think I'll write Gran and have her send a camera. I'm going to want pictures of this."

Harry smiled at that. Ever since he and Neville had become closer friends, the normally shy boy had relaxed quite a bit and come out of his shell. It also hadn't hurt when James had told Neville some stories about his dad during their time at Hogwarts. It seemed that Frank Longbottom had been a bit of a witch chaser. In fact, there had been a running bet between him and Sirius on who could talk the most witches into a broom cupboard. It wasn't until Frank had tried and failed to get with Alice that he changed. Something about the young witch who didn't fall for his charms intrigued him, much the way Lily had James.

Hearing such lighthearted stories about his parents, instead of the usual "Your father was a great man" speech Augusta Longbottom constantly told him gave Neville a bit of a new outlook on his own life.

"I still say it's an insane idea," Hermione said. "I mean, there is no guarantee it will work."

"I know," said Harry. "But it's the safest idea we've come up with."

"Do you have a back up plan?" asked Neville.

"Of course," said Harry. "I'm going to run away screaming like a little girl."

"Malfoy would love that," Neville said.

"Speaking of the ferret," Harry said and gestured towards Malfoy, who was approaching them along with Crabbe and Goyle.

Draco was about to give his usual insult of a greeting when Harry beat him to it.

"Can I have your autograph?" Harry asked.

"My what?" asked a confused Draco.

"Your autograph," said Harry. "You are Draco Malfoy, the incredible bouncing ferret, right? I mean, I've heard so much about you, but to actually meet you in person… Actually, forget the autograph. Hey, Colin?"

"Yeah?" Colin Creevy said from down the table.

"You have your camera with you?" asked Harry.

"Always," said Colin as he pulled his camera out from inside his robes.

"Great," Harry said as he got up from his seat and stood next to Draco, putting his arm around the Slytherin's shoulders. "Take a picture. I want to remember the day I got to meet my idol."

"Get off of me scarhead," Draco snapped, shoving Harry off of him just as Colin snapped a picture.

"Wow," Harry said with a hurt look on his face. "I thought you would be cool. But you get a little fame, and it goes right to your head and you think you're better than everyone else… I'm crushed. I really am. My idol is a jerk. Hermione, console me."

Harry sat next to the bushy haired witch, who was trying her hardest not to burst out laughing, as Harry buried his head into her shoulder and pretended to cry.

"Mental," Draco said. "The whole lot of you."

He then turned and quickly stormed off, his two bulky shadows trying to keep up.

"That was brilliant," Neville said as he started laughing.

"It was, wasn't it," Harry said with a huge grin. "Oi, Colin, make sure I get a copy of that."

"Will do," Colin said.

"Where did you come up with that?" Hermione asked. "Not that I don't approve. I mean…"

"I think it has to do with having my parents back," Harry said. "My dad has been telling me of some of the pranks they used to pull. I guess it's just rubbing off on me. I think I'm starting to become the person I should have been if they hadn't been killed."

"Well, whatever it is, I approve," Hermione said. "I like this Harry over the one who would have risen to his baiting."

"I like this version of me too," Harry said before he took a bite of his sandwich.

OoOoOoOoOoO

 **A/N** : I DID IT! Over the past two weeks since I posted the last chapter, I have written enough chapters to cover the rest of this year. And now I'm set for Fallout 4.

Next chapter… Dragons


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen**

"How are you doing Harry?" Cedric asked as he sat down next to Harry inside the champions tent.

"Aside from the fact that I feel like I might vomit, piss, and shit myself all at the same time, splendid," Harry said with a weak grin.

"I know the feeling," said Cedric. "Hannah told me she told you what we're up against."

"Yeah," said Harry. "But I already knew."

"She told me that as well," said Cedric. "Did you see the looks on Fleur's and Viktor's faces when they pulled out their dragons?"

"Like they knew as well," said Harry.

"Big time," said Cedric. "Look, I know we're supposed to be competing against each other in this. But still, are you sure you're ready for this? Do you have some kind of plan?"

"I do," said Harry. "You?"

"Yeah," said Cedric. "Not sure how good it is though."

"Me either," said Harry. "But if mine does work… Everyone will remember this day for years to come."

"Well then, I look forward to seeing what you have in store," Cedric said.

Just then, Ludo Bagman's voice boomed out, welcoming everyone to the first task of the Tri-Wizard Tournament. After explaining that the first task was traditionally one that tested the champions' bravery in the face of the unknown, he introduced said unknown.

OoOoOoOoOoO

"Bloody fucking hell, look at the size of that thing," Neville said as he watched the team of dragon handlers levitate a sleeping dragon into the arena and gently set it down next to a nest full of fake stone carved eggs along with one that looked to be made of gold.

Once the dragon handlers cleared back towards where they entered from, they all hit the dragon with an enervate spell, waking it up.

Everyone gathered to watch the first task gasped as the dragon slowly woke up and yawned, exposing a mouth full of razor sharp teeth. As the dragon looked around, seeing it was surrounded by hundreds of humans, it let out a loud roar, causing many to cover their ears, before it then shot out a jet of flame from its mouth, which hit an invisible barrier that had been cast to protect the spectators.

"Oh, I hope Harry's plan works," Lily said, as she paled at the thought of her son facing something like that.

"It will," said James. Or at least he hoped it did. If not, rules be damned. The Marauders were ready to jump in and save his son if need be.

OoOoOoOoOoO

One by one, each of the champions were called out, until Harry was sitting by himself. He had no idea what each of the other champions were doing, as Bagman didn't describe a single thing. Just commented on if something worked or not, and if not, how painful it had to be. He hadn't even listed off what the scores were, so Harry had no idea who was in what place.

Finally, Harry knew his time was up when Bagman called his name.

"Right," Harry said as he stood up, feeling that nervous energy that he usually felt build up inside him right before a Quidditch match. "Let's do this."

OoOoOoOoOoO

The gathered crowd watched as the dragon handlers stunned Krum's dragon and levitated it out of the arena, only to return a few minutes later with Harry's dragon while the arena crew repaired the damage doing to the nest of stone eggs.

Everyone went deathly silent as they looked at the massive beast. Students, mostly Ravenclaws, who had brought their copies of Magical Beasts and Where to Find Them, consulted the book and gasped when they saw what breed of dragon it was, and then shared that news with everyone around them.

"Are they insane?" Hermione asked as she looked up from her copy of the book.

"What?" asked Neville.

"That," Hermione said, pointing at the dragon. "That's a Hungarian Horntail. It's one of the most vicious dragons known to wizarding kind."

"What does the book say about dealing with it?" Lily asked. It had been a while since she had read the book, and didn't remember much of any of the entries about dragons.

"Only one thing," Hermione said. "Run."

"Alright," Bagman's magically enchanted voice rang out. "It looks like we are all set and ready for our forth and final champion. So, without further ado, also representing Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the Boy-Who-Lived… HARRY POTTER!"

Everyone cheered as Harry made his way out into the arena, only to stop dead in his tracks when he saw the full sized version of the dragon he had to face.

Unlike the other dragons, who waited for the champions to make the first move on what they believed to be their nest of eggs, the Horntail attacked first, swinging its large, spiked tail at Harry, who dove behind a large boulder for cover.

"Oh, it looks like this dragon knows what is going on," Bagman said. "And she is not going to idly sit by and let it happen."

"I am really, really, really going to kill Albus," Lily said.

Just then, someone started to call out, "Samples! Get your samples here! Free samples of our latest creation!"

James looked over and smiled as he watched the Weasley twins move about the crowd.

"Samples!" called out Fred. "We've got samples of… Oops."

He looked down as one of the small pouches fell out of his hands and into the area. For a brief moment, there was a smile on his face before he continued to move about the crowd.

Harry heard the call and saw the pouch fall. Unfortunately, it was well beyond the range of any sort of cover from the dragon, which meant if he was going to do this, he would need to be quick.

Thankfully, he had had many years of training while living with the Dursley's when his cousin Dudley and his gang wanted to play a few rounds of Harry Hunting.

Harry closed his eyes and took a few deep, calming breaths before he opened his eyes and took off running as fast as he could.

The dragon roared when she saw Harry and tried to smash him with her tail, missing him by a few good feet. She then decided to burn the threat to her children to a crisp and eat him.

Harry reached the pouch and pulled out a soft, yellow, chewy looking bit of candy.

The dragon opened her mouth and pulled in a deep breath, filling her lungs with the oxygen she needed to combine with the natural chemical in her lungs that would turn into fire.

Turning, Harry saw that the dragon was getting ready to breath fire. He would only have one shot at this. After that, he was screwed. Holding the candy tightly, he pulled back his arm and then threw it at the dragons open mouth for all he was worth.

The dragon was just about to exhale when she felt something enter her mouth and slide down her throat.

"What is Harry doing?" Bagman asked, worried that the insane amount of gold he had bet on him winning was about to be burned away, much like the boy.

"TWEET!"

Everyone stared in stunned silence as the deadly Hungarian Horntail changed into a giant, bright yellow canary.

"TWEET!"

The sound was loud and high pitched, causing many to cover their ears.

"I… I… Ladies and gentlemen, I don't know what to say," said Bagman. "But somehow, Mr. Potter has turned his dragon into a canary."

The gathered crowd watched in total silence as Harry calmly strolled over to the nest, past the former dragon, which was pecking at the ground, looking for food, and into the nest, where he grabbed the golden egg.

Everyone burst into a roaring applause as Harry walked out of the nest, holding his golden egg above his head in triumph. Well, everyone except a few notable students from Slytherin who had been hoping to watch Harry get killed, and a group of three men who were laughing their assess off at one of the best pranks they had ever been witness to.

"And now for the scores," Bagman said, still in disbelief at what he had seen.

Dumbledore was first, giving Harry a nine. Madam Maxime reluctantly gave Harry a seven. Mr. Crouch gave Harry a seven as well. Bagman gave Harry a perfect ten, and then came Karkaroff. Pretty much everyone booed the man as he gave Harry a zero.

"What the…" asked Bagman. "Igor, why are you giving the boy a zero?"

"He cheated," Karkaroff said. "He used something other than his wand. The rules clearly state that the champion may only use their wand."

"Oh, come now," Bagman said. "Give a little leeway. The kid turned a freaking dragon into a bird. I didn't see your boy doing anything that impressive. Hell, Harry didn't even get hurt. Krum did, and you still gave him a ten."

"Perhaps this would be better discussed in private," Dumbledore suggested, not wanting an argument to break out where everyone could see. It would ruin the sprit of the tournament and the goal of creating ties within the international community.

"Right," Bagman said. He then turned back to the gathered crowd. "Well, there you have it folks. The first task of the Tri-Wizard Tournament. The second task will be taking place on the twenty forth of February."

OoOoOoOoOoO

"So, um… How do we handle this?" Charlie Weasley asked the rest of his team as they stood in the arena, staring at the giant canary as everyone left the stands.

"I guess the same way we handled the other dragons?" one of the dragon handlers suggested.

"Is it going to turn back?" another asked. "Because if not, Mr. Dagwood is not going to be happy to get back three dragons and a giant bird."

"In about…" Charlie checked his watch, "five more minutes and it will."

"And just how do you know that?" asked one of the handlers.

"Canary Creams," Charlie said. "Joke product my brothers came up with over the summer. Whoever eats one turns into a bright yellow canary for ten minutes. That was five minutes ago. So, we better stun Abigail and get her back into her cage before she turns back. Otherwise…"

"She's gonna be one mighty flipped off dragon," a handler said. "Got it."

"Alright," said Charlie. "Stunners on three."

OoOoOoOoOoO

Harry sat in the champions tent, and impatient look on his face as Madam Pomfrey continued to check him for injuries he didn't have.

"I'm telling you, I'm fine," Harry said. "The dragon never touched me."

"I'll be the judge of that," Madam Pomfrey said as she continued to wave her wand around Harry.

"That was bloody brilliant," said James with a laugh and he and the rest of the group walked into the tent.

"Language, James," Lily admonished him. "But your father is right Harry. That was amazing to see. I'm glad it worked and I'm very proud of you."

Harry beamed at the praise from his mum.

"I'd like to give Karkaroff a what for though for that zero," said Sirius. "Bloody git."

"Language, Sirius," Lily said.

"Bah," he said, waving her off.

"It was an unfair score," Remus said. "But still, with the other scores you received, you're tied for first place with Viktor Krum."

"First?" said a surprised Harry.

"Yeah," said Neville. "Even the Headmistress from Beauxbatons gave you a favorable score."

"Wow," said a stunned Harry.

"There," said Madam Pomfrey. "All finished. And you will be glad to know that there is nothing wrong."

"That's what I told you," Harry said.

"Come on kid," James said as Harry stood up. "Let's get you back to the tower. I'm sure the rest of the Gryffindors have a party going on in your favor."

OoOoOoOoOoO

Draco Malfoy was livid as he returned to his common room after the first task, sitting down heavily on one of the leather sofas with a huff.

"What's the matter Draco?" Pansy Parkinson asked as she sat down so close next to him, any closer and she would have been in his lap.

"Fucking Potter," said Draco with a touch of a growl in his voice. "I really was hoping he would get eaten by a fucking dragon. But nooooooo, he has to go and be a show off and turned his dragon into a flipping bird. Now I'm never going to hear the end of how the great Harry Potter has done what no wizard has ever done before."

"But we already hear about that," said Crabbe. "What with him surviving that killing curse and all."

"Shut up, Crabbe," snapped Draco.

"Yeah, shut up Crabbe," repeated Pansy.

Crabbe and Goyle both shared a look as they thought the same thing. If their fathers weren't paying them to watch over and protect the ponce, they would have ditched him back in their first year for someone more powerful. Someone like Nott. Now there was a pureblood wizard that exuded not only power, but charisma and charm as well. Not to mention that he also displayed more of the characteristics of what it meant to be a Slytherin. Unlike Draco, who was loud and boastful and cocky.

The two of them might not be the smartest in their house, but even they had to wonder how someone like Draco was sorted into their house. They figured it must have been a legacy thing since his father was a Slytherin. Much like the Weasley's being sorted into Gryffindor, since it was obvious to anyone with eyes that Ronald Weasley should have been sorted elsewhere.

"I'm telling you, Potter has been the bane of my existence since the day I met him in Diagon Alley," Draco said. "Father telling me off for running my mouth in front of him in Madam Malkin's when I should have been subtle with my views and lured him to our side. And the same on our first train ride here. Tell me, why the bloody hell should I pretend to make nice with some Weasley, just to placate Potter?"

"You shouldn't," said Pansy.

"Damn right I shouldn't," said Draco. "Their entire family is an embarrassment to purebloods everywhere… And in our second year, Potter goes and steals one of our house elves. And last year, I was so sure I had knocked him down a peg or two when I lied and said that Hippogriff hurt me. Father had it all set to have its stupid head lopped off. But no, once again, Potter did something to set it free. Plus, the uppity mudblood whore broke my nose."

Draco lapsed into silence as he stared into the flames of the fire, his mind whirling with ideas. As he did, an owl flew down through an opening in the ceiling and landed in front of him. Draco took the letter tied to the owl, unrolled it and started to read.

"Shoo, you nasty thing," Pansy said, swiping her hand at the owl, who barked at her before flying back up through the hole. "I don't know why we use such filthy creatures to deliver our mail. Hawks are much more dignified."

Draco's face went paler than normal as the letter slipped from his hand and fell to the floor.

"Draco?" Pansy asked. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"Father is missing," Draco said.

 **A/N** : So... What did everyone think of my take on Harry's plan for the first task?

Next chapter… Harry needs a date.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen**

November gave way to December and a heavy snowfall descended upon Hogwarts, and within a few days, there was at least four feet covering the outside.

"Are you two ready?" James asked his two best friends.

"Of course," said Sirius.

"I don't know about this James," said Remus. "Don't you think this might be going to far at the moment?"

"Will you quit being such a pansy," said Sirius.

"Bite me, dog breath," said Remus. "Look James, I'm not saying this is a bad idea. I'm just thinking that now isn't the best of times."

"Which is exactly why we're doing it," said James. "Come on Moony, what happened to your sense of adventure?"

"Part of it died the night I lost my best friends," Remus sadly said as he lowered his head.

"Oi, no talking like that anymore," said Sirius. "By the grace of… Whatever, we're back together. Yeah, the past thirteen years sucked for you and I. But it's over now. It's time for the Marauders to ride again."

"Shhh, enough of that," said James. "Here they come."

The three of ducked down and hid behind the snow bank they had built.

"Honestly," said Hermione, "I don't understand why Hagrid has us continuing with those Blast Ended Skrewts. Especially in this weather."

"Tell me about it," said Harry. "Even with a warming charm and a drying charm, my feet are still damn near frozen. The least he could do is take the class inside. Not like there aren't enough empty classrooms in the castle."

"Yeah, can't see any problems with that happening," said Neville. "Explosive crustacean like creatures indoors."

"Alright, fair enough," said Harry.

"INCOMING!"

The three teens all turned to look just in time to see hundreds of snowballs rain down upon them.

Hermione took cover behind Harry, who used his backpack as a shield, as did Neville, while they were pelted with what seemed like an endless barrage of snowballs.

From her office window, Lily watched as her husband and friends started a snowball fight with her son and his friends with a smile on her face. It warmed her heart to see the life that fate had attempted to deny her family.

Family. She thought about how their family was about to grow just a bit bigger as she rubbed her stomach, which was now just starting to show the tiniest of bump with the two lives growing inside her.

Suddenly, Lily saw her husband zoom by on a broom as he dive bombed the kids, who were now taking cover behind a hastily made bunker, and started pelting them with snowballs.

With a smirk, Lily decided to even the odds a bit. She opened the window and using her wand, created a snowball the size of a baby acromantula.

"Hey boys," she called out and when Sirius and Remus looked up, she dropped the large snowball on the two of them.

"Thanks mum," Harry shouted before he, Neville, and Hermione focused their attention of James, who quickly flew back to his friends.

"Anytime sweetie," Lily said before she closed the window and returned to her desk to grade a stack of essays from her third year class and thinking that aside from the tournament, life was good for the Potter family.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Amelia Bones sat behind her desk, going over the latest reports turned in by her aurors. Though, what she really wanted to be doing was investigating Harry Potter being entered into the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Unfortunately, both the Minister and the Board of Governors had blocked her at every turn. The Board of Governors didn't want a stain on the great name of Hogwarts, while the Minister didn't want a scandal to be revealed while he was in office. It frustrated the woman to no end, and the only thing keeping her from cursing all of those idiots was that Alastor was at the school and conducting his own private investigation.

Just then, someone knocked on her door.

"Enter," she said sharply.

The door opened and a young woman with bright green hair poked her head in.

"Is this a bad time?" she asked.

Amelia looked over at the young witch and said, "Trainee Tonks. No, no. Come in."

Tonks walked in and just a few steps into the office, she started to trip over her own feet, and only just managed to correct herself before face planting on the floor.

"So, what can I do for you?" Amelia asked.

"It might be nothing," Tonks said, "but, I was sorting and filing the muggle authority reports that we get when I noticed something."

"And that would be?" Amelia asked.

"Here," Tonks said, handing a sheet of parchment to her boss from a file folder. "It's a report of an unidentified dead body that was found a few miles outside of a small town called Little Hangleton. As you can see, they wrote up that it was badly mutilated and well into decomposing."

"I see that," Amelia said, trying not to grimace at the attached photo.

"But take a look at hair color," Tonks said. "Platinum blond or white."

"And?" asked Amelia.

"On it's own, nothing," said Tonks. "But under distinguishing marks, it mentions a partial tattoo of a skull on the inside of the right arm."

"I still don't see the significance," said Amelia as she handed the parchment back to the young witch.

"Lucius Malfoy was reported missing nearly a month ago," Tonks said. "The hair color matches, and the partial tattoo could be the dark mark."

Amelia held out her hand, silently asking for the file back. Looking at the photo and information again. It was a possibility, though thin. She knew of many muggles that got skull tattoos, as well as some with that hair.

"Alright," Amelia said. "Check it out."

"Ma'am?" Tonks asked, a bit confused. After all, she was still a trainee for at least six more months.

"You found it, so it's up to you to look into it," Amelia said. "And if it's him or not, do a good job, and I'll see into you being made a full time auror before the new year."

"Yes ma'am," an excited Tonks said. "You can trust me. I won't let you down."

As Tonks stood up, her foot caught the leg of the chair she had been sitting on, and tripped, this time falling to the floor.

As Amelia watched her get back to her feet and rush out of the office, she had to question Moody's sanity with his claims that she was one of the best recruits he had seen in ages, and that perhaps forcing him into retirement over the summer had been a good idea after all.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Peter Pettigrew, AKA Wormtail, AKA traitorous rat bastard piece of shit, stood just within the edge of the Forbidden Forest at night, staring at the warmly lit up school that had once been his home.

The place had held the best seven years of his life. So many good memories had been made there, and a few bad ones as well. Like half way into his first year, alone and friendless, he had been cornered by a group of older Slytherins who proceeded to curse him with over powered stinging hexes for nearly half an hour, leaving good sized welts all over his body. But then one of them tired of the school yard jinx and hit him in the leg with a bone breaker curse.

Peter had screamed out in pain, however he doubted anyone outside of the bathroom had heard it since they had silenced the bathroom.

But then from out of nowhere, help had come. Their names were James Potter, Sirius Black, and Remus Lupin. Fellow first years in his house who up to this point, had not really paid much attention to him. Yet when they saw what was going on, they did what any good Gryffindor would do when one of their own was in danger.

They kicked some ass.

And not with spells, as the three first years knew that they would be out matched by the older students. No, they resorted to muggle fighting. Punching and kicking. Sirius even bit one of them on the arm when he had been grabbed from behind in a chokehold.

Of course, with the group of Slytherins all being purebloods who looked down on anything muggle, they were almost helpless in fighting back against the angered Gryffindors and ran off screaming they would get them back.

"You alright Petey?" James had asked him as he help him up and supported him since his left leg was broken.

Wormtail shook off the memory as he replaced the warming charm around him. Those days were long gone and over. He had made his choice years ago when he decided to join forces with the Dark Lord. It wasn't that he liked the idea of serving him. But at the time, it had seemed like the best way to survive. The forces of darkness were winning the war. The light was being destroyed piece by piece. And as much as he would have liked to stand by his brothers in all but blood, he had himself to look out for. He was too afraid of dying, and so did the only thing he felt he could do in order to survive.

Peter Pettigrew turned his back on the life he had once had and joined the enemy. And for a time, it was good. All his master had him do was spy on his old friends. Sure, it killed him a little inside every time he played a part in someone he knew dying. And sure, he lost many nights of sleep and was constantly throwing up every time someone he had been close to had been horrifically butchered by his fellow Death Eaters. But as long as he didn't displease his master, he would survive the war… Well, unless he was discovered as a traitor.

Then came the day that he would be able to advance his favor in the eyes of his master. The day he was asked to be the Potter's secret keeper. His master had been livid with the Potter's, as they were some of the few that managed to hold him off from his plans or escape him when he laid a trap. James and Lily had also managed to bring down a large number of Death Eaters since they had joined the war.

With this new development, he had informed his master and was greatly rewarded with an evening of carnal pleasure with some imperioused muggle women.

The plan was made, and his master had decided to attack on All Hollow's Eve, as a ritual he wished to use would work even better on the magically significant holiday. However, when the night came, things didn't go according to plan. Yes, James and Lily had been killed, but somehow not only did their son survive, but had managed to supposedly kill his master.

Peter went on the run after that. His first stop, his flat for some clothes. After that, he was going to stop and Gringotts and get some gold before leaving the country. However, that plan went out the window three blocks from his flat when he ran into Sirius.

Sirius had gone to Peter's expecting to find him tortured, or even worse, dead. But instead, he found him alive and well. Sirius put two and two together and knew that the man had lived up to his animagus.

Peter saw Sirius reach for his wand and did the first thing that came to mind. He loudly blamed Sirius for what happened and in the few seconds that Sirius had hesitated, pulled out his own wand and fired an exploding curse where a group of muggles were working on a gas line in the street. During the chaos, he cut off one of his fingers before transforming into his animagus form and slipped into the sewers. He watched in his rat form as aurors showed up and proceeded to arrest Sirius Black for the crimes he didn't commit and as they questioned and then obliviated every single witness.

Over the next two months, Peter traveled around in his animagus form, living off scraps he found in the trash. Until one day, while traveling through the countryside, a young boy with red hair picked him up.

His name was Percy Weasley.

Percy had kept Peter as a pet, feeding him and giving him a nice warm box full of shredded cloth to sleep in. Sure, it wasn't the grandest of lives, and far from the one he had expected when he joined the Dark Lord. But it was a peaceful and simple life. One he decided to live out in for the rest of his days. He didn't even mind it when Percy had given him to Ron.

But then came that day on the train as Ron headed to Hogwarts for his first year. Peter had nearly panicked and made a run for it when Ron had pulled him out of his pocket and showed him to who at first he believed was James. But instead it was worse. It was his son, Harry. The young boy he had played a major role in turning into an orphan. He had expected Harry to recognize him instantly and try to kill him. But he didn't. He had no idea who he was.

That is until two years later when he heard that Sirius had managed to do the impossible and break out of Azkaban. He knew that he had somehow figured out that he was still alive and was no out for revenge. And to make matters worse, that muggleborn Harry and Ron took to being friends with got herself a half Kneazle for a pet. Not only could it tell that he wasn't really a rat, but had made it its mission to capture and eat him in a way to expose who he was.

Once again, the cold snapped him out of his thoughts. With a quick tempus spell, he saw that it was nearly midnight and decided to forego the warming charm and make his way into the castle and begin his mission of keeping tabs on the Potters.

OoOoOoOoOoO

"And that is why we do not use our wands to scratch inside our ears," McGonagall said as she transfigured Ron's ear back to normal after he had somehow managed to turn it into a piece of broccoli. "As for you Mr. Weasley… There was something I said to every one of you in our very first class in your first year, do you remember what that was?"

"Um…. That you were going to turn me into a pocket watch so I wouldn't be late again?" Ron said.

"I did say that," McGonagall said. "Yet that hasn't prevented you from repeated tardiness. But that isn't the answer I was looking for."

Hermione quickly raised her hand.

"Yes, Miss Granger," McGonagall called on her.

"You said that any student messing about in your class would be asked to leave and not invited to return," Hermione said.

"Correct," McGonagall said. "One point to Gryffindor for remembering my first rule to the class. Now Mr. Weasley, I am left with a problem. Do I remove you from my class or not?"

"I don't know," Ron said with a shrug of his shoulders.

"You don't know," McGonagall repeated as her lips went very thin. "I see… No, I don't think I will. I will however be sending an owl to your mother and have her come see me to discuss your attitude this year."

"WHAT?! NO!" Ron shouted. "You can't do that."

"You'll find out Mr. Weasley, that I can and will," said McGonagall. "And you will also be serving detention every night for the next week with Mr. Filch."

"Screw this," Ron said as he grabbed his bag and stormed out of the classroom, leaving behind a bunch of stunned students and a very upset teacher.

Professor McGonagall tried to resume the class after what had just happened, but everyone seemed distracted. Thus, she decided to end the class ten minutes early.

"Mr. Potter, a word before you go," McGonagall said.

"I'll catch up with you guys in the Great Hall," Harry said to Hermione and Neville.

As his two friends left, he made his way over to his Head of House.

"If this is about Ron, I really don't have anything to say," said Harry. "After what happened on Halloween, he and I aren't exactly friendly anymore."

"I understand," McGonagall said. "However, this has nothing to do with Mr. Weasley. I will be handling that myself. This is about the Yule Ball."

"The what now?" asked Harry.

"The Yule Ball, Mr. Potter," McGonagall said. "It is a traditional part of the tournament. The champions, after dinner is served, open the dance."

"Dance?" asked Harry, his voice cracking a bit. "I don't dance."

"You will on this night," McGonagall said. "Now, as there are only twenty two days left until the ball, I highly recommend you ask someone as your date quick, as many of the young witches are already being asked out. Might I suggest Miss Granger?"

"Hermione?" asked a surprised Harry. "I can't ask her. We're friends… More like siblings. It would be way too weird."

"Well, whomever you ask, do it fast," McGonagall said. "I will not have my house, nor this school embarrassed by one of our champions showing up alone."

Harry just nodded and left the classroom, thinking just who the hell would he ask out. There was Cho Chang, who he had had a bit of a crush on since the year before. But he had seen her and Cedric spending time together quite a bit since the beginning of the year. He was sure that he had already asked her to the ball.

He grumbled to himself as he tried to figure out this problem. And he still had no idea how the solve the puzzle that was that stupid golden egg.

"If I find out who put my name into this tournament, I am gonna kick them in the balls," Harry promised himself.

A few minutes later, Harry walked into the Great Hall and joined his friends at their table.

"What did Professor McGonagall want?" asked Neville.

"To inform me that I needed a date to the Yule Ball, and that I had to dance," Harry said as he helped himself to some soup.

"Well, it is your responsibility as a champion," Hermione pointed out.

"You knew?" Harry asked.

"Of course," Hermione said. "A few days after your name came out, I read everything I could about the tournament. Your dad even loaned me a couple of books from the Potter library."

"We have a library?" Harry asked.

"Well, not a traditional one," said Hermione. "At least not yet. Once your house is ready, I'm sure you will. But for now, all of your families books are being stored in their vault at Gringotts."

"Oh," Harry said as his mind drifted to his new house. After their return, James had tried to reclaim their old house in Godric's Hollow. However, since the Ministry had declared it a historical site, that was never going to happen. So instead James had bought the land the Shrieking Shack was on, had the worn down building torn down, and hired Ted Tonks, who worked as a magical contractor to build them a new home.

Harry had been overjoyed by that bit of news, since they would be living near Hogwarts, which was the first place he had ever been that had felt like home to him.

"So, who are you going to ask to be your date?" Hermione asked, bringing Harry back to his current dilemma.

"No idea," Harry said.

"Why not go with Hermione?" Neville suggested.

"That's crazy," Hermione quickly said, but then blushed as the looks both Harry and Neville were giving her. "Not that I wouldn't want to go with you. I'm sure you would be pleasant date. But it would also be very awkward. You and I are so close, we're almost like siblings."

"That's what I said when Professor McGonagall said I should ask you," said Harry.

Hermione smiled at this, and then said, "Besides, it wouldn't even matter if you did ask me. I would have to say no, because I already have a date."

"Really?" asked Harry.

"Who?" asked Neville.

Hermione looked around to make sure no one was listening before she leaned in close to the two boys and whispered, "Viktor Krum."

"KRUM?!" both Harry and Neville exclaimed in surprise, earning them a scowl and a "Shhhhh!" from the bushy haired witch.

"Yes," she said. "He asked me yesterday in the library. Nothing serious, mind you. And besides, he only asked me because I'm one of the few girls in the school that isn't shadowing him everywhere."

"That's still cool," said Neville. "Going to probably one of the biggest events in our entire time here at Hogwarts, and with a international famous Quidditch star."

"I'm happy for you Hermione," Harry said. "I'm sure the two of you will have fun together… And if not, we'll be seated at the same table to eat, so you can talk to me and whoever my date is."

"Thanks you guys," Hermione said with a warm smile on her face. As she looked around, her eyes landed on Ron, who was stuffing his face as normal as he sat by himself, his actions this year practically turning him into the house pariah. She frowned for a moment as she thought of how he might have reacted if they were still friends. Probably something about how Viktor was only using her to find out about what Harry was doing for the tournament.

"So Harry," Neville said. "What do you say later tonight, after homework of course." Hermione gave a slight nod of approval. "You and I sit for a game of Wizard's Chess and throw around some names of possible dates for you."

"Sounds good to me," Harry said. And it did. While he had enjoyed playing Wizard's Chess, it was never always fun when he had played against Ron. Playing against him, he had always felt put down. But when he played Neville, even when he lost, he still had fun.

Harry tore off a piece of bread, dipped it into his soup and was about to eat it when he saw someone walk into the Great Hall. He watched her for a moment before an idea came to him.

"Actually Neville, we might not need to," Harry said as he slowly stood up and made his way over to ask someone for a date to the ball.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Tonks checked her appearance in the mirror one more time. Normal looking muggle casual business suit? Check. Normal looking brown hair down to her shoulders? Check. Magical identification paper? Check.

"Alright Tonks," she said to her reflection. "You can do this. You can fly solo. It's just a body identification. No possible way you can screw this up."

With a quick nod, Tonks apparated to an alley behind a pub in Little Hangleton. She made her way down the street towards the police station and went inside.

"I'd like to talk to whoever is in charge here," she said to the young man sitting behind the front desk reading a book.

"And who might you be?" he asked without even looking up from the page he was reading.

"Sergeant Nichole Angel," Tonks said as she pulled out the magical I.D., showing the name she had given, her photo, and that she was from the London Police Department.

The man quickly glanced at her I.D. before returning to his book.

"And what is this about?" he asked in a bored voice.

"It's about the body you found," Tonks said, starting to get a little annoyed.

"Right," the man said, and with a sigh, he marked his place in his book and set it aside. "Have a seat, I'll go fetch the captain."

It was nearly ten minutes before the captain came out. After a quick introduction, Tonks explained why she was there.

"Word reached us about the body you found," she said. "The level of brutality matches a few cases we have in London, so I've come to see if it could be another victim."

"A serial killer then," said the captain with a touch of nervousness in his voice. "I hope he was just passing through then."

The captain led Tonks into the back and down a set of stairs where the morgue was.

"Do you know if the victim was from around here?" Tonks asked.

"I don't think so," said the captain. "We're a small little town here in the English countryside. Everyone knows everyone here, and no one recognizes him… I really hope this isn't a serial killer come to stay here. There hasn't been a murder here in Little Hangleton since the late 1940's."

"Oh?" asked Tonks, trying to sound interested.

"That's right," he said. "The Riddle family. Lived up in the manor up on the hill on the edge of town. One morning, they were all found dead. No break in, and no physical means detected. Looked like heart attacks, the lot of them. But no way three people all dropped dead from heart attacks at the same time… Nope, most think it was poison. And even though none could prove it, it was the grounds keeper that did it."

"Interesting," Tonks said, trying to resist the urge to roll her eyes.

"Well, here we are," the captain said as he opened the door and pulled out the metal slab that held a body covered with a sheet.

"May I?" Tonks asked, indicating the body.

"Go right ahead," he said.

Tonks pulls back the sheet and nearly lost the contents of her stomach when she physically saw what remained of his face. A picture was one thing, but pictures don't smell. A real body does.

However, she needed more than to just look at him. And so, she pulled out her wand and stunned the captain.

"Right then," Tonks said. She then proceeded to cast a series of spells on the body. The first detected an empty magical core, typical for the dead body of a witch or wizard. Next she checked for the cause of death and found that the victim had been killed by the killing curse. But that wouldn't explain the condition of the body. She then pulled the sheet down to his waist and discovered two things. The first being a set of teeth marks that looked to belong to a very large snake. And the second was a ring on his right hand.

It was the Head of House ring for the Malfoy family. This body was Lucius Malfoy.

"Bloody great," she huffed to herself and thinking about how much paperwork was going to be involved with this case.

OoOoOoOoOoO

 **A/N** : Next chapter… The Yule Ball


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter Sixteen**

Christmas is usually a time for joy. A time to spend with those you love and exchange gifts. Some gifts are good, like how Harry's parents spirited him away from castle at the crack of dawn to show him the progress of their new home and allow him to pick out which bedroom he would want when they moved in over the summer. It wasn't really a surprise that he picked the bedroom with a window facing the school, because despite everything that had happened there over the years, Hogwarts was the first true home he felt he had had, and wanted to be able to look at it anytime he looked out the window.

However, not all gifts are good. Some can downright suck. Like the letter Draco had received shortly after waking up. It was from his mother, informing him that his father's dead body had been found. In a mood, he made his way out to the Slytherin common room and over to the wet bar set up for seventh year students who were of age. Ignoring the looks some of the students were giving him, he poured himself a shot of firewhiskey and downed it in a single gulp before he set the glass aside and took the nearly full bottle back to his bed.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Harry stood in front of a full length mirror in his parents bedroom, staring at his reflection and admiring the dress robes he had on. Originally, he had the set that Mrs. Weasley had gotten him over the summer. However, when Lily saw the emerald green robes, she made a face.

"I don't know what that woman was thinking," his mum had said, and then took him over the weekend to Madam Malkin's to get a more proper set of robes. These ones were almost all black with just a tiny bit of dark green trim to them. Harry had to agree, these ones looked much better.

"Nervous?" James asked from the doorway.

"A little," admitted Harry as he looked at the reflection of his father. He couldn't help but be reminded of that night in his first year when he first saw the face of his dad in the Mirror of Erised.

"Don't be," said James as he walked into the room and sat on the edge of the bed. "You'll be fine. You and your date are going to have a great time. You'll laugh. You'll dance. And if things go really well, you'll get a good night snog."

"Dad?!" Harry exclaimed.

"Hey, I remember what it was like to be fourteen," James said with a grin, enjoying just a little bit of making his son uncomfortable. "Raging hormones… Not a night went by where I wasn't in my four poster, thinking of your mum…"

"DAD?!" Harry shouted. This was the last thing he wanted to hear.

"Alright, alright," James said. "But still, we do need to have the talk."

"About what?" Harry asked.

"No, I mean, THE talk," James said. It wasn't something he was really looking forward to. For him, it was still a little hard to get past that his son was a teenager when just a few months ago, he was just barely a few months over a year old. He had expected that he would have another twelve or thirteen years before he needed to discuss this sort of thing with his son.

"Oh, that," said Harry as he turned to look at his dad. "Don't worry about that. Sirius already gave me the talk over the summer through letters."

"Trust me son, that dog is the last person you want to take that kind of advice from," said James.

"No, really, it was good," said Harry as he walked over and sat next to his dad. "I think it went a lot better through owl post than face to face as well, because it allowed me a little time to think of any questions that I had. Plus, reading everything he had to say in private made it a little easier since I didn't have to sit there embarrassed the whole time… Trust me dad, he might have missed twelve years of my life while in Azkaban, but over the summer, he really tried to make up for it as best he could while on the run."

"Well… Good," said James as he let out a quiet sigh of relief.

The two Potter men sat there in silence for a moment.

"So… You enjoy your Christmas?" asked James.

"It was brilliant," said Harry with a genuine smile. "It was cool that Sirius brought the Tonks' with him. I had no idea I had an extended family out there."

"You have more than that," said James. "A lot of the old pureblood families married each other at one point or another. So even though they are distant relations, you're still related in some fashion to about one third of the school."

"And yet, Dumbledore still made me stay with the Dursley's," Harry said.

"Yeah," said James. As much as he wanted to fight the feelings of anger and disappointment in the man that had been a mentor to him, especially after the death of his father, the choices Dumbledore had made in regards to his son had really changed his opinion of him.

"Anyways, some last minute dating advice," James said.

"It's not a date dad," Harry said. "We're just going as friends."

"I understand that," James said with a smile as he ruffled his son's hair, which Harry quickly tried and failed to tame. "But still, you want to make this evening enjoyable for her for two reasons. First, if she has fun, she'll tell her friends and word will get around that you are a good date, which will make getting dates later on much easier. Trust me on this. Sirius got quite the rep as a witch chaser, and by the end of our sixth year, there weren't a lot of witches that were interested in going out with him."

"Okay," said Harry. "And the second reason?"

"Because you might just find out that you really do like this girl beyond just being friends," said James.

"And if she has fun, she'll want to go out with me again," said Harry, nodding his head.

"Exactly," said James. "Either way, not being a prat tonight will have positive effects for you in the future."

Soon, it was time for Harry to head down to the entrance of the Great Hall to meet his date for the Yule Ball.

"Behave yourself," Lily said as her son left. "And remember, your father and I will be there tonight as well."

OoOoOoOoOoO

Harry arrived just outside the Great Hall and found the other champions waiting. While the rest of the students were allowed to go in and find a table, the champions and their dates had to wait outside so they could enter in some grand fashion.

Cedric was quietly talking to his date, Cho Chang, both with smiles on their faces, while Viktor was standing on his own, waiting for Hermione to show up. Fleur was standing there with her date, Roger Davies, and looking quite bored as the Ravenclaw Quidditch captain rambled on about all the impressive things he had done and how as soon as he left Hogwarts, we be the first human to run the goblin run Gringotts bank. It would have been funny if it hadn't been so pathetic.

"arry," Fleur said when she spotted him and walked over, ignoring her date.

"Fleur," Harry said a bit stiffly, remembering her earlier comments about him.

"'Zing's 'ave been 'ectic since zee first task ended," Fleur said, "and I never got zee chance to apologize."

"Apologize?" asked Harry.

"For zee comments I made about you being a leetle boy," said Fleur. "Eet was quite ingenious what you did with your dragon."

"Oh," said Harry. "Well, um… Thanks. I didn't get to see what you did, but everyone told me about it. Trying to lull it to sleep."

"Qui," said Fleur. "But eet did not work as well as I 'ad 'oped. Meester Bagman's loud voice woke eet up, and eet burned my arm."

Fleur held out her right arm to show Harry that it had a very faint pinkish hue to it that did not match they rest of her flawless and lightly tanned skin.

"Madame Pomfrey does good work," Harry said. "And trust me, I should know. She's healed me up a few times over the years."

"A few times?" Cedric said with a chuckle and he and Cho walked over to join them. "Come on now Harry, you practically hold the record of most hospital visits for a single student."

"Oh really?" asked Fleur.

"It's true," said Cho. "There was his first year, where he spent a week after getting caught in an altercation between Professor Dumbledore and our defense teacher that year, Professor Quirrell."

Harry raised an eyebrow at that. It always marveled him when he heard the fairy tales most of the school believed about his adventures. If they only knew the truth.

"Then there was his second year," said Cedric. "The defense teacher that year, the complete doof Lockhart, vanished all the bones in Harry's arm after a rogue Bludger broke it when he was trying to heal it."

"Then there was whatever happened in the Chamber of Secrets," said Cho. "That was another three days in the hospital wing."

"And then last year when Harry had been attacked by dementors during our Quidditch match," said Cedric. "Once again Harry, I really am sorry about the way dad acted over the summer. He really can't seem to grasp the whole truth of the situation and is firmly focused on how I caught the snitch against you."

"Don't worry about it," said Harry. "I'll just remind myself that aside from that one match, I'm undefeated in catching the snitch in every single game I've played since I started first year."

"Just wait till next year Harry," said Cho. "I'm going to break that streak."

"I look forward to you trying," said Harry with a grin and causing the others to laugh.

"So, Harry… Your date," Cedric said, arching his eyebrow slightly.

"Yeah?" asked Harry.

"Just surprised is all," said Cedric. "I mean, the two of you haven't been on the best of terms in the past."

"But that's just it," said Harry. "It's the past. And if I've learned anything since my parents came back, it's that you can't live in the past. You need to look forward to the future. And since we both put what happened behind us, we agreed to go to the ball together."

"Well, I think it's sweet," said Cho. "I have to say, you've matured quite a bit this year."

"I think that has to do with not being around Ron anymore," said Harry.

Cho made a face and Cedric nodded.

"I will admit, I do think he was holding you back," said Cedric. "I've lost count how many times he's interrupting things with him always having a go at Hermione."

"Not to mention all the times he convinced me to brush off assignments in order to play chess, so I then have to rush at the last minute to get them done," Harry said as he nodded in agreement with Cedric.

"Thees Ron does not sound like a good influence," said Fleur. "I would 'ate to meet 'im."

"You already did," said Harry.

"I did?" the French witch asked.

"Red hair, bad table manners, and screamed at you when he asked you to the ball," said Cho.

Fleur wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"Oh, Morgana," said Fleur. "I remember 'im now. I also remember when I didn't say anything and just looked at 'im, 'e wet himself and ran away."

"Ron pissed himself?" asked Harry. "Oh, that is brilliant. I can't wait to tell the rest of the guys in our dorm."

"I take it Ron isn't liked in your house?" asked Cho.

"Remember second year when everyone was thinking I was the heir?" asked Harry and Cho nodded. "I had more friends supporting me than he does right now."

"Ouch," said Cedric.

"He brought it on himself," said Harry with a shrug. "First, he accused me of sneaking my way into the tournament."

"Which we all know isn't true," said Cedric.

"Then he said… Well, there are ladies present, so I won't repeat it, but he said some very unfriendly things to Hermione."

"That explains you breaking his nose," said Cho. "Honestly, I was surprised she isn't your date tonight."

"Why does everyone keep thinking Hermione and I are going to get together," Harry said. "We're really good friends. More like brother and sister. And she feels the same way."

"Who feels the same way?"

"Whoa," Cedric said.

"Hermione?" asked Cho.

Hermione smiled at the reaction she was getting. She had put a lot of effort into getting ready for the ball.

"I have to say Hermione, you look lovely," Harry said.

"You clean up nicely yourself," she said in response. "Now, who feels the same way?"

"Harry was just telling us that the two of you think of each other as siblings," said Cho.

"And he's right," said Hermione. "I will admit that last year, I was thinking of asking Harry if he wanted to go on a date to Hogsmeade with me. But since he couldn't go, it never came to fruition. And then when I really thought about it, I realized that I really didn't think of Harry in that way. That I only planned to see if there could be something between us because I didn't think anyone else would be interested in me that way."

Cedric, Cho, and Fleur looked at Harry.

"She already told me all of this," said Harry. "And I have to admit, she's right about it not working between us. Our personalities are too different."

"So are your parents," said Cho. "And it worked out well for them."

"After six years, yes," said Harry. "Before they got together, my mum couldn't stand my dad. It wasn't until his dad passed away from dragon pox that he grew up and changed into someone my mum was interested in."

"And honestly, saying that Harry and I should be together because our personalities match his parents is like saying Harry and Ginny Weasley should be together because they look like his parents," said Hermione, earning a nod of understanding from the Asian witch.

"Ugh," groaned Harry. "That would be a nightmare. I'm just glad she got over her hero worshiping of me."

"So Hermione, who's your date?" asked Cho.

Hermione just smiled and then waved her hand at her date.

"Hello Hermyoniny," Viktor said as he bowed, took her hand in his and kissed the back of it.

"And how did this happen?" Cho asked.

"Quite simple really," said Hermione. "I'm not a simpering fan girl."

"It's true," said Krum. "She vas one of the vew that did not vollow me everywhere."

"What about you Fleur?" asked Hermione. "Where is your date?"

"Over zere," Fleur motioned her hand in the general direction Roger was is, who was just standing there with a small bit of drool coming out of his mouth.

"I swear, 'e was not like 'tis when 'e asked me to zee ball," said Fleur. "'eef I 'ad known 'e would be like most others, I would not 'ave agreed."

"Others?" asked Hermione, and then got a look that said she understood. "You mean because you're a veela."

"Oui," said Fleur. "Some can weethstand it, like 'arry and Cedric and Viktor. And the rest…" Fleur once again gestured towards Roger.

Just then, Professor McGonagall walked up to them.

"Very good to see you all here," she said, and then noticed Harry was by himself. "Mr. Potter, where is your date?"

"That's a good question," said Harry. "She said she would meet me right here."

Harry was about to turn to Cedric and ask him if he might know what could be keeping her, when he spotted her coming up the stairs.

"Whoa," Harry said breathlessly.

She was wearing a set of golden dress robes with slight black accents. Obviously, she was representing her house, but it also looked perfect on her. Her hair, usually tied back in a loose ponytail, had been curled and fell down around her shoulders, perfectly framing her face. While Harry had noticed some of the girls tonight had gone overboard with their makeup, his date had used only just a little to accent what he was now noticing her natural beautiful features.

"Sorry I'm late," Hannah said. "Stupid heals are a pain to walk up the stairs in. I should have worn flats. My mum told me to wear flats because I always have trouble in heals. But did I listen? Of course not. I wore the stupid heals because I thought they looked good and I wanted to look good tonight. Hi Harry. You look good tonight. Not that you don't normally look good, but you really look good in those dress robes.

"Does she usually ramble like this?" Hermione whispered to Cedric.

"Only when she's really nervous," Cedric whispered back.

"The green really brings out your eyes," Hannah continued. "Not saying that your eyes weren't noticeable before, but…

"Hannah," Cedric said.

"Yes?" said Hannah.

"Breathe," said Cedric.

"Right," she said, blushing a little. "I'm just a little nervous about having to dance in front of the entire school."

"Don't worry," said Harry. "So am I."

Hannah just smiled and blushed again.

"Well, now that everyone is here, we can begin," McGonagall said. "Line up here like so… Yes, just like that. I will inform them that you are ready."

Professor McGonagall disappeared into the Great Hall with the last of the students heading to the ball.

"Anyone find it strange that they made us wait out here where everyone can see us, only to parade us into the room?" asked Hermione.

"'eet does seem a bit anticlimactic," said Fleur. "If zey wanted to surprise everyone with our arrival, should zey not 'ave us waiting in zee anti-chamber?"

Everyone nodded and agreed with the two witches. Well, everyone but Roger, who was too busy staring blankly at Fleur.

"Young ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Yule Ball," Bagman's voice rang out from inside the Great Hall.

"Oh great, he's here," Harry muttered to himself.

"Not a fan of Ludo Bagman?" Hannah asked him.

"He has a seemingly unhealthy obsession with me," Harry said. He was about to tell her about his run in with him during the last Hogsmeade visit when Bagman continued.

"Tonight we have a gala of food, fun, and music in store for you," Bagman said. "But first, allow me to introduce to you the four champions and their dates. First, we have famed seeker for the Bulgarian Quidditch national team, and representing Durmstrang, Viktor Krum, and his lovely date for the evening, Hermione Granger."

Harry couldn't help but chuckle at the sound of gasps from most of the students as Hermione walked into the Great Hall on Viktor's arm.

"Next, from Beauxbatons, the lovely Fleur Delacour and her escort for the evening, Roger Davies."

Fleur had to practically drag Roger along, as the wizard had seemed to lose all ability of thought outside of staring at the half-vela.

"Next, the first of the two Hogwarts champions, Cedric Diggory and his date, Cho Chang."

Cedric and Cho walked into the Great Hall.

"I think I'm gonna be sick," said Hannah.

"I know the feeling," Harry said. "Just try not to think about all of them and instead… Think about dinner. I hear the house elves really pulled out all the stops for tonight."

"Right," Hannah said as she nodded her head and took a few deep breaths. "Dinner. Dinner is good… And I just realized that I haven't eaten all day and that I'm starving. Oh no, what if I make a pig out of myself up at the champions table while eating?"

"I highly doubt you could be any worse Ron Weasley," Harry said, causing Hannah to laugh, and then snort.

"You didn't just hear me do that," she said.

"I thought it was kind of cute," Harry said, blushing slightly, and also causing the Hufflepuff to blush as well.

"And finally, the second Hogwarts champion, Harry Potter and his date, Hannah Abbott."

Harry and Hannah each took a deep breath and made their way into the Great Hall to the sound of applause. Both of them had walked the length of the Great Hall many times in the past, but never before did it seem so long.

"I think I'm gonna be sick," Hannah quietly said again as she smiled awkwardly at everyone staring at her.

"Just breathe," Harry whispered to her. "We're almost there, and then everyone will be too busy eating to pay us any mind."

"Until we have to dance," Hannah whispered back.

"Don't remind me of that part," Harry whispered.

Finally, after what felt like ages, but was maybe only a few seconds over a minute, the two of them reached the Champion's Table at the head of the room.

"Once again, your Tri-Wizard Champions and their dates," Bagman said and everyone started to cheer and applaud.

Moments later, everyone sat down and started talking as they ordered their dinner from their plates.

"I don't know what to have," Hannah said as she looked at the menu. "I mean, it all looks so good, but at the same time, I'm kind of craving some pizza."

"Oh, that does sound good," Harry said. He had only had pizza once in his life, and even then it was the smallest of slices of plain cheese while his relatives gorged themselves of deluxe pizzas loaded with various toppings.

"But I doubt we could get one since it isn't on the menu," Harry said.

Then, to the surprise of both Harry and Hannah, two individual sized pizzas appeared on each of their plates.

"What the…" Hannah asked in surprise.

Harry was just as surprised, but then noticed a small folded piece of parchment sticking out from under his pizza. He pulled it out and read the note.

"For young master Harry and his date, Winky and Dobby."

"Holy cow," Harry said. "Dobby's here?"

"Who's Winky and Dobby?" Hannah asked as she peeked over and looked at the note.

"Winky is our family house elf. She's sort of working here at the school until our house is finished. And Dobby, he's a house elf as well," Harry said. "He used to work for Malfoy, but I tricked his dad into freeing him at the end of our second year because he had tried to help me in his own weird way. Plus, Lucius treated him like crap. I guess because he needed to be bonded, he came to work here."

"Oh," Hannah said. "Well, we should thank them later for making these for us."

"Most definitely," Harry said, and then the two of them started into their specially made dinner.

"Oh my," Hannah said as she took her first bite. "This is… This is heaven. It's decided, I'm so totally coming over to your house during summers so Winky can make me pizza."

Harry chuckled a bit, but he had to agree. This pizza was the best food he had ever eaten. By his third bite, it had officially replaced treacle tart as the most favorite thing he had eaten at Hogwarts.

"It really is good," Harry said.

"Good doesn't even begin to describe it," Hannah said. "I love pizza. It is my all time favorite food. Unfortunately, they never serve it here. Anyways, I've had pizza in all the best places. Italy. New York and Chicago over in the states. But all of them pale in comparison to this one."

The blond witch took another bite and moaned happily as she savored the taste.

Much too soon in Hannah's opinion, dinner was over and Bagman stood up again.

"And now, if the champions and their dates would make their way to the dance floor," he said.

The two of them followed the other six to the open space in front of their table. Soon, music started to play and they all started dancing.

"You don't dance half bad," Hannah comment.

"Thanks," Harry said with a bit of a blush. "My mum taught me over the last two weeks."

"Well, she's an excellent teacher," Hannah said.

The first song ended and a second song started, signaling that it was time for the rest of the students to dance as well if they wished to do so.

"Are you having a good time?" Harry asked as they continued to dance together.

"I'm having a great time," Hannah said. "Thank you for asking me. And thank you for not holding my thick headedness against me either."

"We all make mistakes," Harry said. "If I had been in your shoes, I'd have pitched a fit as well. The good thing is, you stopped hating me when you learned the truth."

"Kind of hard not to when you swore on your magic," Hannah said.

"Ron still doesn't believe me," Harry said a little sadly. Despite what an ass hat the youngest Weasley male had been, he was still Harry's first friend.

The music ended and the lights in the Great Hall slowly dimmed.

"Young witches and wizards, we have a special treat for you tonight," Bagman said as he appeared on a stage that had suddenly materialized where the Champion's Table had been a moment before. "Fresh off the end of their world wide Shadow Mass world tour… It is my pleasure to introduce… THE WEIRD SISTERS!"

Everyone started cheering and going nuts, including Hannah.

"The Weird Sisters?" Harry asked as the band came out on stage.

"Only one of the greatest wrock bands in the world," Hannah said with a huge smile on her face.

"HELLO HOGWARTS!" the lead singer said as he grabbed the ampli-horn. "ARE YOU READY TO ROCK?"

Everyone cheered.

"I CAN'T HEAR YOU!" he said. "I SAID, ARE YOU READY TO ROCK?"

Everyone cheered again, a little bit louder this time.

"WELL, ALRIGHT THEN!"

The band started playing their first song on the night, which just happened to be one of the bands most popular songs, Do The Hippogriff.

Harry, who had never heard any wizarding music before, had to admit that they were really good. It wasn't long before he was rocking out with everyone else and having a blast. At one point, he noticed his parents, Sirius, Remus, and a few other teachers enjoying themselves as well, which brought a smile to his face.

During The Weird Sisters third song, both Fred and George climbed up on the stage, only to jump right off and be caught by the crowed, who held them up as they shifted them towards the back.

"BEST!" said Fred as he passed Harry's left side.

"NIGHT!" said George as he passed Harry's right.

"EVER!" they said in unison.

Unfortunately, as they say, all good things must come to an end. And it happened when someone bumped into Harry as he was dancing with Hannah during one of the bands slow numbers.

"Watch it," the person said with a slight slur to their voice.

Harry turned and saw Draco standing there with his date, Pansy. Well, standing wouldn't really be the best way to describe it. More like trying not to stumble over.

"Potter," Draco said with a sneer. "I should have known it was you… Always ruining my good time."

Harry was about to retort when he caught a whiff of Draco's breath.

"Are you drunk?" Harry asked.

"And what if I am?" Draco asked. "This is a bleeding fucking party, isn't it?"

Harry sighed and said, "Look, we may not be… No, actually, we're not friends. I doubt we'll ever be friends."

"Of course we're not friends," Draco spat. "I tried to be friendly towards you. During the train ride to this crap hole for our first year. I extended my hand and offered you guidance. And what did you do? You brushed me off like I was nothing. Like I was lower than a Weasley and a mudblood combined. I'm a fucking MALFOY! My name commands respect, and you disrespected my family name and honor."

"Draco, maybe we should…" Pansy started to say and Draco pushed her away.

"Fuck off cunt," Draco said, and then turned back to look at Harry. "No, Potter. You've been a thorn in my side since the day we met. And now… Now I'm gonna do what my father tried to do in our second year."

Draco pulled out his wand from inside his dress robes, pointed it at Harry and said, "AVADA KEDAVRA!"

OoOoOoOoOoO

 **A/N** : Not really much to say this week. I'm wrapped up in all sorts of family Christmas high jinks at the moment with so many family members visiting from all over.

Next chapter… You'll have to wait till next year to find out.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter Seventeen**

Hannah was enjoying her evening being Harry's date to the Yule Ball. So much so that the young schoolgirl crush she had developed for him towards the end of their first year was starting to show itself again.

But then Draco Malfoy had to try and ruin everything by being his usual pompous ass. Plus, he was drunk as well. She would most surely be informing her head of house about this. It might be the thing that finally gets the idiot in trouble. Especially without Professor Snape there to protect him like he used to.

However, things went even more south as Draco pulled out his wand.

"AVADA KADAVRA!" Draco practically screamed as he cast the killing curse.

Many people stared in shock. Others gasped. And three people, James, Lily, and Hannah screamed "NO!"

Without even thinking, Harry pushed Hannah out of the way before Draco even finished speaking the spell.

Or, at least tried to.

The tip of Draco's wand barely glowed a faint, pale green before it fizzled out.

Harry couldn't help himself. He started to laugh.

"What's the matter Malfoy? Can't get your wand up?" he asked. "You know, muggles have pills to help with that kind of problem."

"Bastard," Draco spat as he tossed aside his wand and was about to lunge at Harry when he was struck down by nearly a dozen stunners from members of the staff, as well as Harry's parents and their friends.

Up on the stage, the lead singer leaned over to the bagpipe player and said, "What a twat."

"Harry!" Lily shouted as she rushed over to check on her son. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Harry said as he watched his dad, Sirius, Remus, and Dumbledore quickly walk over and bound Draco in chains before levitating him out of the Great Hall.

"Harry, are you alright?" Hermione asked as she rushed over along with Neville.

"What happened mate?" Neville asked.

"Draco was drunk," Hannah said. "He tried to pick a fight with Harry, but he wouldn't rise to his baiting, so he got mad and… I can't believe he tried to use an unforgivable."

Hermione gasped as she covered her mouth in shock.

"Which one?" ask Neville.

"The same one Voldemort tried on me all those years ago," Harry said, ignoring the slight gasp that came from Hannah when he said his name.

"I guess he didn't mean it," Hermione said, getting questioning looks from the others. She sighed and said, "Honestly, don't any of you pay attention in class? Professor Moody explained that you have to really mean it when you use an unforgivable."

"Oh yeah," said Neville.

"I forgot," said Harry. "But then again, later that night, my name came out of the Goblet."

"Right," Hermione said with a blush. She had forgotten those two things happened on the same day.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Amelia Bones was just about to finish with her work for the night and head home after a very long day. She had spent most of the day going through back channels as she tried to find a way to do something about not only Dumbledore, but also the Board of Governors and their cover up of events that had taken place over the past few years at Hogwarts.

Unfortunately, it all seemed to be for naught, as there were many hidden laws that protected the school from outside interference from the Ministry. So unless the Minister managed to get a new law passed that would allow the Ministry to get involved, her hands were tied.

"Madam Bones," Tonks said as she stormed into the office without knocking.

"Cadet Tonks, have you heard of knocking?" Amelia asked in a stern voice.

"Sorry, but this is important," Tonks said.

"What is it?" Amelia asked.

"Moody just floo called," Tonks said. "They have a student in custody who attempted to use the killing curse."

"Who?" Amelia asked as she grabbed her cloak and pulled it on.

"Draco Malfoy," Tonks said.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Harry walked Hannah out of the Great Hall among the rest of the students. It had been decided that after what had happened to end the Yule Ball early, and so he was escorting her back to her house.

"Sucks about tonight," Hannah said.

"Tell me about it," said Harry. "I was really having a fun spending time with you."

"Me too," said Hannah. "I mean, spending time with you. Not with me. I spend all my time with me. But… Stupid Malfoy. What do you think is going to happen to him?"

"You remember what Professor Moody said," said Harry. "Use of an unforgivable is a one way ticket to Azkaban."

"Oh yeah," said Hannah. "By the way, what was that whole thing about pills muggles takes for their wands? Muggles don't have wands."

Harry blushed as he rubbed the back of his neck. He didn't know how to explain it to her without sounding like a creep. Though, it wasn't his fault that he knew about such things. He just happened to overhear his uncle talking to his aunt that he had gotten himself a prescription for the pills during the few weeks he was there during the beginning of summer.

"Long story," Harry said.

Soon, they arrived at the wall of barrels that led to the entrance to Hufflepuff.

"So, this is me," Hannah said. "I, um… I had a good time tonight."

"Me too," Harry said.

The two of them stood there awkwardly for a moment.

"Well, good night," Hannah said before she started to head to the barrel that hid the entrance.

"Hannah?" Harry said.

"Yes?" she said, turning back to look at him.

"Um… Well… You know there is a Hogsmeade visit in a couple of weeks?" he asked.

"I'd love to," she quickly said. "I mean, yes, I saw the notice on the board about it."

"Would you like to go with me?" Harry nervously asked. He was even more nervous than when he had asked her to the ball.

"I'd love to," Hannah said. She then walked back up to him and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "Good night Harry."

"Night," he said in a bit of a daze, surprised that she had done what she did. It was in this daze that he made his way back up towards Gryffindor tower, only to run right into the middle of an argument.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Amelia apparated right outside the front gates of Hogwarts along with Tonks. Both witches were met by Sirius.

"Amy, so good to see you again," Sirius said. "And Nyph…"

"Finish that name, and I swear I'll hex your bollocks off," said Tonks.

"Cousin Tonks," Sirius quickly said. "Good to see you as well. Though, I was expecting more than a few hours since you left the Christmas gathering we had earlier today."

"Sirius," Amelia said.

"Yes?" said Sirius. "Oh, right. Up this way."

He started to lead them up the path towards the castle.

"So Amy…" Sirius started to say.

"Amelia," she said. "You know I hate it when you call me Amy."

"You didn't used to," said Sirius.

"That was before I found you in bed with another witch," said Amelia.

"That wasn't my fault," said Sirius. "I was drunk. James, Remus, rat bastard, and I were all out celebrating the news of Lily being pregnant. You know when I drink too much, I black out and do stupid things."

"All too well," said Amelia. "That doesn't mean that I will forgive you for screwing some witch in the bed you and I shared."

"Oh, Sirius, really?" asked Tonks.

"What?" asked Sirius.

"Cheating is one thing," said Tonks. "But in the bed you and your girlfriend share… That's fucking low."

"Blacked out drunk," said Sirius. "I accept no responsibility for my actions when I'm in that condition."

"That's always been your problem Sirius," said Amelia. "You never accept responsibility for your actions."

"You're wrong," Sirius said as he came to a stop to look at the head of the DMLE. His face looked cold and haunted. "Thirteen years… I failed Harry for thirteen long years. The things he had to endure because I let my temper get the best of me and rushed off to find Peter instead of taking care of him like I should. I have to accept and live with that for the rest of my life. Made even harder when I not only look at him, but when I look at James and Lily as well, because I failed them as well."

Sirius suddenly turned and continued his way towards the castle, leaving the two witches behind.

"Do you know what he's talking about?" asked Tonks.

"A little," said Amelia. "But it isn't my place to say."

Amelia and Tonks hurried to catch up to Sirius and followed him into the castle. He led them to an unused classroom just across from the Great Hall, where they found James and Lily in a heated discussion with Dumbledore.

"Please, be reasonable," Dumbledore said.

"I am being reasonable," said Lily. "The fact that I haven't cursed the little shit should be proof enough of that."

"What is going on here?" Amelia asked.

"Good, you're here," Lily said. "This little bastard tried to use the killing curse tonight, on my son, in the middle of the Great Hall, during the Yule Ball and in front of hundreds of witnesses."

"I see," said Amelia.

"Madam Bones," said Dumbledore. "Amelia… Please, I know it is protocol to arrest anyone caught using an unforgivable and sentence them to Azkaban if found guilty."

"Or just chuck them in without even a how do you do," grumbled Sirius.

"But young Mr. Malfoy is still but a child," continued Dumbledore. "Only fourteen years old. Not to mention that earlier today he received word of his fathers death."

"Age and family issues are no reason to use an unforgivable," Amelia said. "And I know for a fact that Alastor informed the students on the consequences of using an unforgivable in one of his classes. The hope was to ward off any children of dark aliened families from heading down the wrong path. Obviously, Mr. Malfoy refused to heed that warning."

"And he's drunk," said Remus.

"Drunk?" asked Dumbledore.

"Don't act like you can't smell the firewhiskey coming off of him," said James. "I could smell it the moment we levitated him out of the Great Hall after we stunned and bound him. I don't even want to think how powerful it is to Moony with his that enhanced sniffer of his."

"I assumed it was coming from Sirius," Dumbledore said. "I do remember him getting quite drunk some nights during the war."

"You would've been drinking heavily as well if you had found friends of yours mutilated beyond recognition," said Sirius.

"This is not a time to discuss this," said Amelia. "Right now, we must deal with Mr. Malfoy. Cadet Tonks?"

"Yes ma'am?" Tonks said.

"Please check Mr. Malfoy's wand for previously cast spells," Amelia said.

James handed Tonks the wand and she preformed the spell on it, showing that the last spell it had cast was in fact, the killing curse. However, something was off about it.

"That's odd," said Tonks.

"What is?" asked Amelia.

"He did in fact attempt to cast the killing curse," said Tonks. "But the magic for it is… Off."

"Off?" asked Amelia. "What do you mean?"

"I've seen what it's supposed to look like," said Tonks. "It's one of the things they teach first year of training. But his… It's almost like there is no magic in it at all."

"No magic?" asked Amelia. "How is that possible?"

She made her way over to Draco and cast a series of spells on his unconscious form.

"This boy has no magic," she said in surprise.

"What?" almost everyone asked at the same time. Everyone except for Dumbledore.

"Oh, dear," he said.

"Albus, do you know what is going on?" Amelia asked as she turned to face him.

"Do I know?" he said. "No. But I do have a suspicion."

"Care to enlighten the rest of us?" asked Lily. "Or are you going to keep it to yourself, like you do everything else?"

Dumbledore gave Lily a hurt look, which didn't faze the look of anger on her face. He then sighed and started to explain.

"I believe what has happened goes back to their first year," Dumbledore said. "In an attempt to get Harry in trouble, Mr. Malfoy goaded him into a wizards duel."

"He didn't?" asked James, and Dumbledore nodded. "That idiot never showed, did he?"

"He did not," said Dumbledore. "His plan was for Harry to get caught by Filch."

"I don't get it," said Lily. "What does that have to do with anything now?"

"Lily, he issued a wizards duel," James said. "Since he was the one that issued it, and then refused to show up, his magic sort of turned on him, marking our son as his superior. And when he tried to curse Harry tonight, his magic viewed it as a betrayal and basically left him."

"You mean…" Lily started to ask.

"Draco Malfoy is now a squib," said Remus.

OoOoOoOoOoO

 **A/N** : HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Next chapter… Somebody is going to die.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter Eighteen**

 _MALFOY LINE COMES TO AN END!_

 _Story by Rita Skeeter_

 _My dear readers, it is true. One of the long standing families within our wizarding world is no more. How is this possible, you might be asking? The answer to that comes in two parts. The first is the mysterious and unsolved death of Lucius Malfoy, who sources within the Ministry informed me was found mutilated nearly beyond recognition. The second part comes in the form of his son, Draco Malfoy, who in an attempt to use an unforgivable against fellow student, Harry Potter, forfeited his magic due to a long standing debt when he refused to show up to a duel he had officially issued in their first year, leaving the young man a squib._

 _When I attempted to reach Mrs. Malfoy for a comment_ …

"Well, I guess that explains why Draco was so upset that night," Hermione said as she set down the paper. It was a few days after the Yule Ball, and she, Harry, and Neville were all in the Great Hall having breakfast.

"I don't think the two thirds of a bottle of firewhiskey he drank helped him much either," said Neville. "What do you think Harry?"

Harry had been quiet the entire time Hermione read the article out loud, deep in thought.

"Harry?" Hermione asked, putting a hand on his shoulder and snapping him out of his thoughts.

"Huh?" he said.

"What do you think about Malfoy being a squib?" asked Neville.

"Honestly?" he asked and both his friends nodded. "I kind of feel bad for him..."

"You do?" Neville asked, a little surprised by that.

"Let me finish," Harry said. "I kind of feel bad for him, but at the same time, I can't help but think he is one lucky bastard."

"Lucky?" asked a surprised Hermione. "How can you think he's lucky? Don't get me wrong here, I like Draco Malfoy as much as Ron enjoys doing homework. But to lose your magic…"

"And what do you think would have happened if he had actually been able to cast the curse?" Harry asked. "Let's say that whatever my mum did to protect me all those years ago doesn't work anymore. I would have been killed right there in the middle of the Yule Ball. How do you think everyone would react to that? Hell, forget everyone, just think of how my parents would have reacted to seeing me killed…"

"They would have killed him," Neville said, nodding as he understood what Harry was trying to say.

"Exactly," Harry said. "You guys have been there with me, hearing the stories about my parents when they were younger. You know my mum can have a heated temper when she's mad. Think about the rage she would feel seeing me killed. So yes, I feel bad for him. But losing his magic is a far better fate than what could have happened to him."

OoOoOoOoOoO

Down in the dungeons in the forth year boys dorm of Slytherin, Draco Malfoy was packing up his trunk. Since he was no longer a wizard, he had no reason to remain at the school. Also, do to his loss of magic, it was decided not to hold him in one of the DMLE holding cells until his trial for his attempted use of an unforgivable. Without magic, he wasn't considered a threat, and thus would be remaining at home until his trial.

His trunk packed, Draco closed it and grabbed his wand. The memory of the day he had gotten it came rushing back to him. It had taken a few tries, but finally that weird old foolish wand maker had picked the right one for him to try.

"Fifteen inches. Made of the finest elder wood and Thestral tail hair for the core," Ollivander had said to him.

Draco could feel the power radiate through the wand in his hand that day. Now… Now it just felt like a piece of wood. A reminder of the life he would no longer have.

With a sigh, he tucked his wand into his pocket, grabbed the end of his trunk and dragged it out of the room.

In the common room, most seemed to ignore his presence, while others gave him dirty looks. As though saying 'how dare your kind sully this hallowed place with your presence'. Crabbe and Goyle were no where to be found, however Pansy was sitting on the couch in front of the fireplace, reading a copy of Teen Witch Weekly.

"So, I'm leaving," he said as he walked over to her, wanting to say goodbye. However, she just ignored him. "Um… If I manage to not get chucked into Azkaban, maybe you and I can see each other over the summer?"

Pansy froze in the middle of turning the page of her magazine for a moment before she closed it and set it down.

"See you over the summer?" she asked as she turned a cold glare at him. She then stood up looked him in the eye. "You are nothing but a filthy, disgusting squib. Hell, even when you had magic, you were a sad, pathetic excuse for a wizard. I'd sooner date a Weasley than spend even one more second with you."

Draco stared at her with a mixture of hurt and shock on his face. He was so stunned by her words, he didn't even hear the chuckles from some of the other people in the common room.

"Oh, what?" she asked in a mockingly sympathetic tone. "Did you think that without your magic, I would still like you? That I could accept you being a pathetic squib living a pathetic muggle life? News flash, I only attached myself to you because of who you were. A Malfoy. A name that carried weight behind it in the wizarding world. A name that no longer means anything. Just like you."

The hurt Draco was feeling was slowly replaced with anger with each word she spoke. He didn't even realize he had pulled out his wand and pointed it her out of reflex, resulting in her and many others to start laughing at him.

"Honestly squib boy, why do you even still have that?" Pansy asked. "That's something only a real wizard should have."

They say it only takes a pound of pressure to break the skin. Draco proved that was correct when he shoved Pansy to the common room floor, got on top of her, and stabbed her in the throat with his wand.

It was only a few seconds later when his former Quidditch teammates grabbed him and pulled him off the dying Pansy. His face, chest, and hands covered with blood, and he was laughing quite manically.

By the time one of the students had gotten a professor and they returned, Pansy Parkinson was the first death within Hogwarts in just over fifty years.

OoOoOoOoOoO

James Potter removed his glasses to stave off the migraine that was threatening his head as he listened to the rest of the Hogwarts Board of Governors argue. The topic of the day, Albus Dumbledore. Or more accurately, wanting to remove him as Headmaster.

"Doing so would throw the entire school into chaos," said Quagmire Nott.

"So you think we should just leave him in charge?" asked Castor Greengrass. "The man nearly lost control of the school to the students fighting each other. Not to mention that he has yet to find the one responsible for interfering with the Goblet of Fire. And now a murder under his watch just six hours ago."

"No, I do not," said Nott. "I, as much as anyone else here, would love to see that old fool tossed out on his rear and have someone else in charge. But doing so in the middle of the tournament is not the time. We have foreign delegates visiting the school that Dumbledore has been working with since it was decided to bring the tournament back. Not to mention that he is the only person we know that speaks Mermish, which will be needed to set up the second task. No, I'm saying that we wait till the year is finished, and send him on his way. In the meantime, we can use this time to properly vet his replacement."

"When a Headmaster leaves, the position has always gone to the Deputy Headmaster or Mistress," said Narcissa Black. She had taken her husbands seat on the board after he was found dead, and now with her son being held within a section of Azkaban reserved for squibs, she had reclaimed her maiden name as she wanted nothing to do with the Malfoy family. "Do you believe that Professor McGonagall is not suited for the job?"

"Events at the school have happened under her watch as well," said Nott. "She has always followed Dumbledore's orders. I believe replacing him with her will only result in the same thing eventually happening again down the road."

"Mr. Potter," Augusta Longbottom said. "You've been quite for a while. What are your thoughts?"

"My thoughts?" he asked, noticing that everyone was looking at him. "Well… I never thought I would actually be saying this, but I agree with Nott."

Nott gave everyone around the room a smug look.

"I have my own issues with Albus," James continued. "Both regarding the school, and personal… Mostly personal. But the truth of the matter is, the way he's handled this school over the past few years hasn't been in the best interest of the students. Bringing in the Philosopher's Stone. Not involving the DMLE when students were being attacked and petrified."

"We ordered him to keep that internal," said Greengrass.

"And a foolish idea that was," said James. "And then to allow Lucius Malfoy to force you to kick him out."

"Not our most proudest moment," said Madam Rosmerta, who represented the businesses of Hogsmeade on the board, since they all depended on the school and the students to remain in business. Many would be quite surprised at just how many galleons are spent during the average Hogsmeade weekend.

"Even I will admit that my late husband was a fool to do such a thing," Narcissa said. "However, he had greater aspirations at the time, and Dumbledore's removal was a smaller part of a larger end game he was playing."

"That's beside the point," James said. "The students were at risk. The DMLE and the Unspeakables should have been brought in and searched the castle. They could have had the situation handled within a week at most. Instead, it was my son who ended up having to deal with it at the age of twelve."

"Yes, yes," said Nott. "We all know how proud you are of what your boy has accomplished over the last couple of years. Do you mind getting on with the point?"

"While Dumbledore is still a great man, he isn't as great as he once was," said James. "Age is starting to catch up with him. I don't believe that his thought process is as sharp as it once was."

"So you really do believe we should replace him?" asked Augusta, a little surprised by this.

"Like I said, I agree with Nott," said James. "We should start making preparations to replace him after the tournament and school year are over. We need to use this time to seek out a proper replacement. And not just from the current or former Hogwarts staff. Other schools around the world as well should be considered."

"You wish to bring a foreigner to run our school?" asked Nott.

"I believe we shouldn't leave any stone unturned," said James.

"It is a possibility to consider," said Augusta. "However, I believe that searching outside our own country should wait until we've exhausted all possible candidates within."

"Agreed," said Greengrass. He then looked around the table at each member of the board. "Very well, let us put it to a vote. Those in favor of sacking Albus Dumbledore from his position as Headmaster now?"

Only two people raised their hands.

"Those in favor of waiting till the tournament and school year are over in June?" he asked, and the remaining ten raised their hands. "The votes have it to wait, ten against two. This gives us at least six months to find the next Headmaster or Mistress of Hogwarts. Personally, I would like to have the replacement selected before the school year is over. Till then, I believe each of us should compile a short list of who we each believe would be suitable for the position and we can begin ruling names out next meeting and then move on to looking into those that remain. For now, the January meeting of nineteen ninety five of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry Board of Governors is adjourned."

OoOoOoOoOoO

"They're really going to sack him?" Lily asked.

James had just returned from the meeting and after pouring himself a drink, had informed her of what had been decided.

"Yeah," said James as he let out a small sigh. "There really was no way around it. Even Augusta was in favor of removing him."

"Who voted for him to stay?" Lily asked.

"Cynthia Macmillan and Steven Burke," said James. "They're good people. They just have trouble accepting that Dumbledore can do anything wrong."

"Augusta surprises me," Lily said.

"Not me," said James. "Frank and Alice put their trust in Albus when it came to the prophecy, just like we did. After the meeting, I asked her why, and she partially blames Albus for what happened to her son and daughter in law. That he should have done more to protect them after Voldemort was defeated. That he should have known his most devote followers would have known to target them as well as us."

"And since we were gone," Lily started to say, and James nodded his head. "So, what happens now?"

"Now," James said. "Now we need to start looking for a replacement. The rest of Board of Governors wants them picked before the school year is over so as soon as everyone heads home for the summer, Albus can walk them through the castle, explain what needs to be explained, and transfer over control of the wards."

The two of them were silent for a while, just staring into the fire as James absentmindedly reached over and gently rubbed his wife's stomach, which was just starting to show from her pregnancy.

"I still can't believe it," Lily said a few minutes later, breaking the silence.

"I thought you would be happy," said James.

"I am," said Lily. "But at the same time, I kind of feel bad for him. The choices he made, I know he had the best of intentions and tried to do what he thought was right. But they didn't turn out for the best. He put the students in danger many times, especially when the Chamber of Secrets was opened."

"Too which I got them to admit that they should have contacted the Ministry about," said James.

"Hindsight is always twenty, twenty," said Lily.

"True," said her husband.

"Besides, it wouldn't have mattered if he ignored them and done the right thing," said Lily. "It's what happened to Harry that will always focus my feelings towards him."

"I know," said James. "Speaking of which, Sirius, Remus, and I believe we have a plan regarding your family."

"Oh?" said Lily.

"Yes," James said with a grin. "There are a few people we need to talk to first, but if they agree… Well, let's just say that their lives will be sullied for a very long time."

"Good," said Lily, who then gave her husband a kiss on the cheek. "Anything else from the meeting?"

"Actually, now that you mention it," said James, who then told her of his suspicions on what the second task of the tournament might be.

Lily had a thoughtful look on her face as she chewed her bottom lip.

"Have I ever mentioned how sexy you look when you do that?" James asked.

"You might have once or twice," Lily said with a bit of a mischievous grin. She then stood up and led her husband into the bedroom.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Harry sat quietly in the corner of the common room, thinking. He had been this way ever since word had reached Gryffindor tower about how Draco had murdered Pansy. Hermione and Neville had both tried to talk to him, but he remained locked in his own mind, at war with his thoughts.

A part of him blamed himself for Pansy's death, saying that if Draco had killed him at the Yule Ball, he wouldn't have killed her. The other part of his mind told him that he was being a complete fucking idiot, and that he had no responsibilities over Draco's actions. Everyone made their own choices in life, and he should not let them weigh him down as though they were his own.

It took his a few hours, but finally Harry realized that his logical side was right. It wasn't his fault. And while he felt sorrow for Pansy's death, he would not allow his past issues take the blame.

Hermione and Neville, who were both sitting one the big over stuffed and comfy chairs in front of the fire, were surprised when they noticed Harry stand up and leave through the portrait hole.

Quickly, the two of them abandoned what they were doing and rushed after him.

"Harry, mate, wait up a second," Neville called out, but Harry didn't slow down. He was a wizard with a mission.

Neville and Hermione shared a look as they continued to run to catch up with him, which they finally did in the Entrance Hall, where there were a gathering of students from Slytherin as well as members of Pansy's family.

"What do you want Potter?" Theodore Nott asked when he saw Harry walk over to them. "Come to gloat?"

"I came to give my condolences," Harry said. "What happened was… Well, I guess fucked up is the best way to describe it. And while I cannot speak for every member of my house, I just wanted to say that I'm done holding grudges against your house."

Nott and the others eyed Harry suspiciously while Neville and Hermione stared in shock.

"What game are you playing here Potter?" asked Daphne Greengrass.

"No games," Harry said. "I held you all in the same contempt because of my interactions with Malfoy and Snape. And if there is one thing I have learned this year, it's that grudges between houses only lead down a path none of us want to really go down. I mean, look what almost happened in the days after my name came out of the Goblet? Everyone was seconds from turning the Great Hall into a battlefield."

Harry then turned and looked at Pansy's parents.

"Mr. and Mrs. Parkinson," Harry said. "I am honestly and sincerely sorry for your loss, and if there is anything the Potter family can do for you in your time of grief, please feel free to let us know."

"Your parents know you speak on their behalf?" Mr. Parkinson asked.

"No," Harry said. "But they will agree. It's time for past grudges and issues to finally be laid to rest."

"Thank you Mr. Potter," Mrs. Parkinson said. "Thank you."

Harry nodded and turned to walk away.

"What was all of that about?" Hermione asked as Harry walked past her and Neville.

"Just an olive branch," Harry said as he paused to look at her. "Just an olive branch."

OoOoOoOoOoO

 **A/N:** This chapter is dedicated to the memory of Alan Rickman. Thank you for the years of entertainment in countless awesome movies.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter Nineteen**

Voldemort sat in his chair by the fire with a thick blanket wrapped around his frail form in order to keep him warm. Ever since Halloween night, he had feel a chill deep inside him that refused to go away, despite how many warming charms he placed on himself or how stoked the fire before him was.

"You summoned me, master?" his newest follower said as she kneeled before him. She seemed to shrink into herself when her masters giant snake slithered out of the darkness of the room and circle around her a few times before coiling up around her masters chair.

"Yes," Voldemort hissed as he stared coldly at the woman. He did not like her one bit. Not that he liked many of his followers. In fact, the only ones he could tolerate, he could count on one hand. But his other followers were weak and fearful of him. However, she didn't express any of the normal fear he was used to. She seemed to bask in his presence, even more so than his dear Bellatrix. She was also ambitious. He wouldn't doubt her for a moment to try and murder him before the ritual could be complete and usurp his place of power. The only thing he found that kept her in check was her dear Nagini. The woman was obviously terrified of his familiar.

"I have a task for you," he said. "One in which you are perfectly placed to accomplish."

"Anything for you, my lord," she said.

"I want to you organize a mass breakout from Azkaban," Voldemort said, causing the woman to gasp slightly in surprise.

"But my lord," she said with a slight quiver to her voice. "That would cause mass panic."

"Indeed," he said. "It would also release many of my faithful followers that are currently imprisoned. Followers I will need for when I return to power. The night that I return and kill Harry Potter will be one all of wizarding Britain will never forget. And then, while the Ministry runs itself thin trying to recapture all of the escaped prisoners and round up the freed dementors, we shall be able to take over with ease."

"Very well," she said. "I will do as you command."

"I know you will," said Voldemort. "Because if you fail me in any way, your life will be forfeit."

OoOoOoOoOoO

"Fucking Azkaban," Tonks said from her cot in the guard's bunkhouse. "Why the fuck am I here?"

"It's part of cadet training," one of the other aurors stationed there said without looking up from the book he was reading. "All cadets must serve six months guard duty here before they can graduate."

"But I was supposed to be fast tracked," Tonks said in what sounded almost like a whine. "I'm the one that found out that Lucius bloody Malfoy had been murdered."

"I know," said the auror. "Which is why Madam Bones is only having you here for one month instead of six. Consider yourself lucky."

"Lucky my shape shifting arse," said Tonks.

"Everyone pulls guard duty here once a year for two months," said the auror as he put down his book. "The six months cadet training is to make sure you can handle it, just in case."

"In case of what?" asked Tonks.

"Who knows," the auror said. "Could be anything. Storms at sea which prevent the boat from reaching here. A rogue dementor getting lose into the populace."

"That happens?" Tonks asked.

"Once," said the auror. "Long before my time. Back when the Ministry first put them here. Rogue dementors are far more stronger than regular ones. Story has it that a single rogue dementor can suck all the souls out of a room full of people in one go. Which is the reason for the six months. If you can still cast your patronus by then, you should be able to cast it against a rogue."

"Right," Tonks said as she nodded her head. "Well, I'm off to the loo."

"Have fun," the auror said as he picked up his book and continued reading from where he had left off.

Tonks had only been gone for a few minutes when someone knocked on the front door of the large prison.

The auror sighed as he set his book down and went to see who it was, figuring it was some new prisoner being delivered since no auror replacements were expected for at least two weeks. He just wished they could get some advance notice about these things. However, since there was no floo connection to the prison, and since it was warded to prevent any owls from getting within a hundred feet and allowing someone to sneak a wand into someone they know locked away, they never knew when someone was going to be showing up.

"Yeah?" he asked as he opened the door, seeing someone wearing a black cloak with the hood pulled up.

"Yes," a sickly sweet female voice said from within the shadows of the hood. "I'm here for the release party."

"Release party?" the auror asked. "What are you on about? No one is getting released today."

"Ah, but that is where you are wrong," she said as she pulled back her hood, revealing short, curly blond hair with a black bow in it, perched atop the face of someone that looked to have been crossbred with a toad. "Everyone is getting released today."

Before the auror could react, Delores Umbridge, Senior Under Secretary to the Minister for Magic, and recent addition to the Death Eater ranks, cast the killing curse and ending the man's life.

Delores then made her way into the guardroom where she accessed the prison's wards and released the control it had on the dementors. Within a matter of moments, a mass of sickly looking figures in tattered black cloaks were flying away from the island prison and towards the mainland looking for something new and fresh to eat. She then deactivated the wards that kept the cellblocks locked down.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Bellatrix was having the most wonderful dream. She had just finished gutting everyone at a muggle family reunion, and now her master was taking pleasure from her body atop the pile of corpses.

"Love," Voldemort said in a voice that wasn't his. "Love, wake up."

"What?" asked a confused Bellatrix.

SLAP

Bellatrix woke up with a start as she sat up and found her husband Roldolphus standing over her.

"Wakey, wakey love," he said.

"What do you want?" she asked, anger seeping into her voice for interrupting her dream.

"We're leaving," Roldolphus said.

"Right," she said as she lay back down and rolled over. "Delusional bastard."

"Delusional, am I?" he asked with a grin. "Listen."

It was then that she heard the sounds of people running and screaming, which caused her to sit back up. Those weren't the usual screams of suffering that most of the prisoners cried out due to the effects of the dementors. These new screams were joyous and rage filled.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"No idea," he said. "But I do know that all the wards have come down and those blasted dementors are gone… As I said, we're free."

"Well then," she said as she got to her feet. "Let's leave this place and have a little fun, shall we?"

Bellatrix gave her husband an evil grin, which he returned before they disapparated away.

OoOoOoOoOoO

"So, are you having a good time so far?" Harry asked as he and Hannah walked out of Honeydukes, each of them with a small bag loaded with sweets.

"I am," Hannah said with a smile. "I'm really glad you asked me out. I had such a great time with you at the ball… Well, until… You know."

"Yeah," Harry said. "That did suck. I was having a really good time that night. To be honest, it was the first time that I really felt like an average teenager. Sure, I'm one of the champions. A forth one at that. But still… I felt normal that night. I didn't have the weight of something on my shoulders. I could just relax and be me for the night. And a lot of that has to do with you."

"Me?" asked a surprised Hannah.

"Yes, you," said Harry. "You put me at ease that night."

"I was such a bumbling mess," Hannah said with a blush.

"Only at first," Harry said. "But then again, I wasn't much better. I just have a lot of experience hiding things like that from people."

The two of them walked in silence for a few moments, just looking around and unsure what to say next.

"What would you like to do now?" Harry asked.

"I don't know," Hannah said as she glanced around at the various shops. "Wanna grab a butterbeer?"

"Sounds good to me," Harry said.

"And you can finally tell me about that pill muggles use for their wands," Hannah said.

"You're not going to let that go, are you?" Harry asked.

"Nope," Hannah said with a smile.

As the two of them made their way to the Three Broomsticks, little did they know that trouble was literally just around the corner.

"See," said Snape. "I told you that today was a Hogsmeade weekend."

Snape had run into the two of them in Diagon Alley, where they had all had the same plans of hitting the apothecary for some pepper up potions to combat the negative effects of the magical prison, as well as a few other potions to heal them as well. Unfortunately, they left six bodies behind after they decided to attack Hogsmeade.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," said Roldolphus. "So what now?"

"Now…" Bellatrix said as she pulled out the wand she had taken from some witch she had killed with a knife. "We have some fun before we find our master."

"Just remember, anyone with the name Potter is mine," said Snape.

The three of them put on the skull like masks they had conjured and pulled up the hoods of their black cloaks. They then stepped out into the middle of the street and stood there as everyone came to a standstill and stared at them.

The students, who were too young to know who the three were unless they had been at the World Cup, wondered if this was some kind of celebration show related to the Tri-Wizard Tournament. And those old enough to remember the dark times of the war were frozen with fear as they saw something that had not been seen in thirteen years.

Death Eaters.

"Ladies and gentlemen, witches and wizards, children of all ages," Bellatrix began. "We have come to deliver a very special message. A message of pain and fear."

Everyone just continued to stare at them.

"This is the part where you're supposed to run and scream," she said, and then started to cackle with glee as they did just that.

"Must you always be such an attention whore?" asked Snape as he, Bellatrix, and Roldolphus started casting spells into the crowd of panicked people.

"What can I say," said Bellatrix as she sent a fireball through the front window of Madam Puddlefoot's Tea Shop. "I love a terrified audience."

She smiled as she watched the fire burn inside, killing the kind and romantic old witch that ran the place, as well as six students who had gone there on their dates.

"Speaking of audience," said Roldolphus. "Here come the heroes."

Rushing to meet them were half a dozen aurors who were responding to the sudden influx of calls about a Death Eater attack.

"Ooooo, toys for me to pway wiff," Bellatrix said in her mocking baby voice. Then, with a flick of her wand, she had relieved two of the aurors of the burden of having heads attached to them.

"Oh, I forgot how much I love watching you kill people," Roldolphus said, and Bellatrix blew a kiss towards him.

"I think I'm going to be sick," said Snape at their display of affection.

The remaining aurors fired spells at them, and the three Death Eaters cast shield spells to block them.

"Honestly, stunning spells?" asked Roldolphus. "I'm seriously offended. The last time we did this, they cast spells to kill. Have we really fallen so far from memory that they forget what a threat we are?"

"Perhaps they think we're just imposters," said Bellatrix. "Fakes dressing up like enemies of old for a laugh."

"Then I believe we should show them that we're the real deal," said Snape, who then pointed his wand into the air and cast the Dark Mark over the village of Hogsmeade.

"Ahhhh, there is it," Bellatrix closed her eyes and soaked in the sudden sounds of screaming terror at the sight of the mark. "Music to my ears."

OoOoOoOoOoO

Dumbledore sat in his office and sighed. He had just received an anonymous letter from someone on the Board of Governors, informing him of their plans to remove him from his position as Headmaster at the end of the school year.

If he was honest with himself, he had to admit that this wasn't much of a surprise. With everything that had happened over the past couple of years and the choices he had made, it was inevitable.

"I just had hoped to have time to prepare Harry before he had to meet his fate from the prophecy," Dumbledore said to himself. "But now…"

Now he would be gone from the school in less than six months. And with the return of James and Lily, who seemed to no longer trust him because of some of the choices he had made in regards to their son.

"How was I supposed to know he was being abused?" Dumbledore asked out loud. "I mean, yes, Arabella told me of the bruises, but I just assumed she was over reacting and they were the results of a bit of rough housing with his cousin and friends. When Abe and I were children, we wrestled all the time and got our fair share of lumps from it."

From his perch, Fawkes let out a small chirp.

"You believe that I was ignoring the signs?" Dumbledore asked and the phoenix nodded his head.

"Perhaps," Dumbledore quietly admitted after thinking about it for a moment. "Perhaps I did. But I didn't think that things like that still happened in the muggle world anymore. I thought that they had matured and outgrew such punishments towards children. I mean, you hear so many things about being grounded and placed on time outs, that you just assume…"

Fawkes squawked at Dumbledore.

"Yes, yes, I know," Dumbledore said. "When you assume, you make an ass out of you and me… And who taught you such language?"

Fawkes just tilted his head to the side slightly.

"Of course, the Weasley twins," Dumbledore said with a slight grin. "Leave it to a couple of pranksters to teach a phoenix foul language."

Fawkes squawked again.

"No, that pun was not intentional," Dumbledore said.

Just then, the door to Dumbledore's flung open and Professor McGonagall rushed in with a look of panic on her face.

"Minerva, what is it?" Dumbledore asked.

"Albus," she said, trying to catch her breath. "Hogsmeade… The Dark Mark is over it."

The normal grandfatherly look quickly vanished from Dumbledore's face and was quickly replaced by a stone cold look that sent a chill down McGonagall spine.

"Send word to James and Filius to meet me in the village," Dumbledore said. "You and the rest of the staff, gather all of the students still on the grounds and bring them into the castle and institute a full lock down. Keep them in the Great Hall and have the elves serve tea with a touch of calming draught mixed in."

"That should keep them from panicking too much," McGonagall said.

Dumbledore made his way over to Fawkes and held out his arm, allowing his familiar to swoop down and land. Then, in a brilliant flash of fire, the two of them were gone.

OoOoOoOoOoO

A few minutes earlier…

Harry and Hannah sat down at one of the tables in the crowded Three Broomsticks, each with a mug of warm butterbeer in hand.

"And that's what the pill does" Harry said.

"I don't see what the big deal is," Hannah said. "There have been potions for sexual issues for hundreds of years. Everything from impotency to fertility. Though, most witches and wizards use them even though they don't need them."

"And you know this how?" Harry asked with a touch of a grin.

"Shut up," Hannah said, blushing as him implied, yet unasked question. "Ever since I was little, I've wanted to be a healer. So as soon as I received my Hogwarts letter, I've been picking up extra books to prepare myself."

"That's cool that you already know what you want to do with your future," Harry said.

"Yeah," Hannah said. "You should have seen me when I was little. I used a stick from the tree in my backyard and pretended it was a wand and used it to heal my dolls. But what about you? Have you given any thought to what you want to do after Hogwarts? They're going to ask you about that next year so you can figure out what N.E.W.T. level classes you will have to take during your last two years."

"Honestly, I haven't given it much thought," Harry said. "The truth is, I've just been trying to survive these past few years. It seems like every year there is something or someone trying to do me in."

"It hasn't been that bad," Hannah said.

"First year," Harry said, holding up a finger, "Professor Quirrell was possessed by Voldemort. There were three times he almost killed me, including during my very first Quidditch match."

"You mean when you're broom started acting up?" Hannah asked, remembering that day. Even though she didn't know Harry then, she had been so scared.

"That was Quirrell trying to curse it," Harry said. "Believe it or not, it was Snape that saved me by casting the counter curse."

"I thought Professor Snape hated you?" Hannah asked, feeling confused.

"He did," Harry said. "Sort of… It's a long story involving him and my dad. Anyways, second year, I almost died when Ron and I wandered into a Acromantula nest in the forest."

Hannah gasped upon hearing that.

"Then there was the basilisk that bit me in the Chamber of Secrets," Harry said.

"Okay, now I know you're having me on," Hannah said, frowning in disappointment. That frown quickly faded away when Harry rolled up his sleeve and showed her the scar.

"But… Nothing can cure basilisk venom," Hannah said.

"Phoenix tears can," Harry said, and then proceeded to tell her about everything that had happened down in the chamber.

"Wow," Hannah said. "You must be the luckiest person on the planet."

"Maybe," Harry said.

Just then, people started screaming outside and they felt the ground shake from what appeared to be an explosion.

"What the bloody hell was that?" someone asked.

Someone ran into the Three Broomsticks and starting shouting for everyone to run because Death Eaters were attacking the village.

"Death Eaters?" Hannah asked, a bit of fear and panic in her voice. "Harry, what are we going to do?"

Harry thought about it for a moment as Madam Rosmerta made her way to the floo. After sticking her head in the emerald green flames for a bit, she stepped away and a few aurors came rushing out.

"Everyone remain calm and stay inside," one of the aurors said. "We'll handle this."

For some reason, those words didn't fill Harry with much confidence. A feeling that was justified when he looked out the window saw that same auror and another lose their heads.

"Right," he said, deciding that something needed to be done aside from everyone staying inside a building and allowing the Death Eaters to pick them off like fish in a barrel.

"Everyone, out the back door," Harry shouted.

"Outside, where they are?" someone from Ravenclaw asked.

"You want to stay in here when they set the place on fire, be my guest," Harry said. "Everyone else that isn't an idiot, the Shrieking Shack isn't far from here."

"But it's haunted," the same Ravenclaw said, making Harry seriously wonder just how the hell someone so stupid managed to get sorted into the house known for intelligence.

"You go to a freaking school full of ghosts," Harry shouted. "Besides, not only is it not haunted, there is a secret passage that leads back into the school."

"There is?" Madam Rosmerta asked, surprised by this news.

"Well, sort of," Harry said. "It comes out under the Whomping Willow. But I know the trick to calm the tree for a few moments, so if we leave the tunnel in small groups, we can make it."

"Alright then," Madam Rosmerta said. "You heard him. Everyone out the back and towards the Shrieking Shack."

Hannah remained by Harry's side as he led the group of students and a few adults out the back and towards their destination after Madam Rosmerta insisted she be the last one out of her business. And while Harry's plan to save everyone might have seemed brave, in reality, his motives were not. All he wanted to do was to get back to the castle and find his parents.

OoOoOoOoOoO

James had just finished slipping his pants back on after spending some quality time with his lovely wife when someone started pounding on the door.

"Hold your hippogriff's, I'm coming," James said as he made his way towards the door.

He opened the door to find a worried looking McGonagall standing there, breathing heavily.

"Minerva, what's wrong?" he asked.

"Death Eaters," she said. "They're attacking the village. Albus wants you to meet him there."

"Wait, hold on, Death Eaters?" he asked.

"The Dark Mark was cast over the village," she said. "I need to get to Filius and send him along as well."

"Why don't you use the patronus messenger spell?" James asked.

McGonagall, in her moment of panic, had completely forgotten about that spell and wanted to slap herself. Her sudden forgetfulness may have cost lives.

She pulled out her wand and thinking of the message, cast the spell and her cat patronus rushed off down the hall.

"James, who's at the door?" Lily asked as she walked out of the bedroom, tying her dressing gown as she did.

"Lily, I need you to stay here," he said in a commanding voice.

"Excuse me?" she asked, giving him a look for using that tone with her.

"Death Eaters are attacking Hogsmeade," James said as he grabbed his shirt and put it on, followed by a pair of shoes.

"Oh no," she gasped. "Harry's there today on his date."

"I know," he said. "Which is why I need to get down there."

"I'm coming with you," Lily said as she started to turn back towards the bedroom to get dressed.

"Lily, no," James said.

"James Charlus Potter," she said as she turned to stare at him. "If you think for one bloody moment that I'm going to be the good little wife and stay behind, you have another thing coming."

"Lily, your pregnant," he said, noticing the brief look on her face that told him that for a moment, she had forgotten that little fact. "Also, if Harry was already on his way back here, one of us needs to be here to reassure him. If he comes back and finds both of us gone…"

Lily thought about it for a moment and finally nodded her head. He was right. The last thing she wanted was for her son to come back, find them gone, panic and do something foolish.

"Go," she said before giving him a quick kiss on the lips. "And remind those bastards why the Potter's are not to be messed with."

"Of course," he said, giving her a kiss of his own before leaving.

As James rushed through the castle, he had two ideas. The first was to sneak up behind whoever the Death Eaters were by using the hidden passage under the Whomping Willow. And the second was that a little extra help wouldn't hurt, and so he sent a patronus message to his two best mates.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter Twenty**

James picked up a rock as he hurriedly walked towards the Whomping Willow and banished it into a specific knot in the trunk of the temperamental tree, causing it to go still as he approached. He was just about to slip down into the hidden passage when someone poked their head out.

"Harry?" James asked in surprise.

"Dad?" Harry asked, also surprised.

They stared at each other for a moment before they smiled and hugged each other tightly.

"I'm so glad you're safe," James said.

The two of them stepped aside and everyone started to file out of the tunnel and run up towards the castle. Though Hannah still remained at Harry's side, feeling safer next to him at the moment.

"How did you manage to get out of the village?" James asked.

"We were in the Three Broomsticks," Harry said. "When it started. After the aurors showed up and… Well, I thought it best to sneak out the back and make our way to the Shrieking Shack and use the hidden passage."

"Did you see how many there are?" James asked, knowing he needed to get there as quick as possible, but also knowing that getting a little knowledge beforehand could help him prepare better for what lie ahead.

"I only saw a couple," Harry said. "But I really didn't bother to stop to take a head count of them. Like I said, I thought it best to get everyone we could to safety."

"Casualties?" James asked.

"The aurors were taken out in seconds. That tea shop is gone," Harry said. "And just as we reached the Shrieking Shack, Zonko's was blown up."

James nodded his head sadly. Whoever these bastards were, they were going to pay.

"Alright," James said. "Get up to the castle. Your mum is waiting for you in the Great Hall. Everyone else should be there as well."

"What about you?" asked Harry. "Aren't you coming?"

"I can't Harry," James said. "I'm needed."

"Then I'm coming with you," Harry said.

"Harry, no," said James.

"But dad, I can fight," said Harry.

"I know you can," said James. "But this isn't some snake or a bunch of dementors. These are Death Eaters. They kill and are very well trained in doing so. You wouldn't stand a chance."

"I don't care," said Harry. "I'm not letting you go alone."

"I won't be alone," said James. "Moony and Padfoot are meeting me at the Shrieking Shack."

"Then let me come as well," said Harry. "Four is better than three."

James let out a deep sigh. His son was really just like him and his wife. Stubborn.

"I'm sorry Harry," James said just before he stunned him. He then looked at Hannah and asked, "Can you make sure he gets back to the castle safely?"

"Yes sir," Hannah said.

"Thank you," said James, and the he made his way into the tunnel as Hannah cast the levitation spell on Harry. "He is gonna hate me for this."

OoOoOoOoOoO

Dumbledore appeared in a flash of phoenix fire just outside the Hog's Head, surprised to find his brother standing just inside the doorway.

"Aberforth?" Dumbledore said.

"Albus," Aberforth said as he lit his pipe with the tip of his wand.

"What are you still doing here?" Albus asked. "The village is under attack."

Aberforth tapped his wand against a barrier in the doorway.

"I got wards," Aberforth said, and then indicated behind him. "Also got about two dozen of your kids in here. We're safe. Don't you have some dark wizards to deal with, or would you like to come in for a cup of tea and catch up on old times?"

Dumbledore gave his brother a slightly unfriendly look before he turned and rushed.

"Prat," said Aberforth as he inhaled the smoke from his pipe.

OoOoOoOoOoO

James crawled out of the passage into the Shrieking Shack to fine both Remus and Sirius waiting for him.

"Moony. Padfoot," James said to each of them.

"Prongs," Remus and Sirius said. All three men had an air of seriousness about them.

"So… Death Eaters, huh?" asked Remus.

"That's what I was told," said James.

"Well then gentlemen," said Sirius. "Let's go remind them why the Marauders are not to be messed with."

The three of them walked out of the dilapidated house and quickly made their way into the village.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Albus Dumbledore stepped out into the middle of the street where three Death Eaters were currently setting fire to a pile of dead bodies.

"There," a female voice said with glee. "Now their mummies and daddies won't be able to identify them."

"No," Dumbledore whispered as he realized that the burning remains were students.

One of the Death Eaters turned and noticed Dumbledore standing there.

"Well, well, well," he said. "Look who decided to finally show up? Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore… Boy, that sure is a mouthful."

"I command you to stop at once and surrender," Dumbledore said. "There is no more need for bloodshed today."

"Oh, but I think there is," the woman said as she pulled off her mask.

"Bellatrix," Dumbledore said in shock. "But… You're supposed to be locked away in Azkaban."

"We got out early for bad behavior," Bellatrix said.

"Us, and every other single prisoner," the man said as he removed his mask.

"Rodolphus," said Dumbledore. "And I take it your other friend is your brother."

"Sadly, no," Rodolphus said. "My dear brother Rebastan was kissed by an over zealous dementors a few years back… No, our friend here is someone else you are familiar with."

Dumbledore looked at the third person and watched as he removed his mask.

"Severus?" asked Dumbledore, feeling faint.

"Surprised to see me?" asked Snape. "I don't know why. You did after all leave me to fend for myself after Potter forced my hand."

"Severus, you cannot continue to blame James for your own actions," Dumbledore said.

"Why shouldn't he?" asked James and he, Remus, and Sirius walked out from between two shops and stood next to Dumbledore. "He's been doing it since we were eleven. Everything that went wrong in his life was my fault."

"Potter," Snape growled with a nasty sneer on his face.

"And me," Flitwick said as she swooped down and hopped off of a broom. It was after all, a much faster way for him to travel than to run on his little legs.

"Oh, goodie," Bellatrix said as she clapped. "A little half breed for me to rip apart… I've always wondered what the insides of a goblin looked like."

"And I've always wondered what sickness rots your brain," Flitwick said as he brandished his wand.

"Inbreeding," said Sirius. "Lots and lots of inbreeding on her side of the family."

"But what about her sisters?" asked Remus.

"Family secret," said Sirius. "They're half sisters. Dear old Bella was the product of her mother and uncle getting a little to familiar with each other if you know what I mean."

Everyone just stared at Sirius.

"They had sex," Sirius said to clarify.

"Yeah, we got that," said James. "Just still a little shocking that you never mentioned it before."

"It never came up in a conversation before now," said Sirius. "And it's not like it's something that one just casually brings up. 'Oh, hey, know my nutter of a cousin? Yeah, well, her parents are siblings,'."

"Fair enough," said Remus.

"Excuse me," Bellatrix said as she put her hands on her hips. "Are we going to fight or not?"

"Dibs on Snivellus," said James.

"We'll handle my cousin," said Sirius and Remus nodded.

"Looks like we get the leftovers," Flitwick said to Dumbledore.

OoOoOoOoOoO

A group of prisoners roamed the halls of Azkaban like a pack of wolves on the hunt. Which is exactly what they were doing.

"I'm telling you, she came down this way," one of them said.

"I don't know," said another prisoner.

"Yeah, if she did, then where is she?" asked another.

Just then, yet another prisoner walked around the corner and almost ran into the three men.

"Hey, you," the first prisoner said. "You seen a pretty pink haired bird around here?"

"You mean the one with the delectable lovelies on her chest?" the prisoner asked.

"That be the one," the second prisoner said with a lecherous grin.

"She's in there," the forth prisoner said as he gestured into the room he had come out of. "Mind you, she's unconscious. Had to knock her out. She kept screaming and kicking when I was trying to have my way with her."

The first three prisoners smiled lecherously.

"Good on you mate," one of them said as they pushed past him and went into the room.

The forth prisoner grabbed the door and slammed it closed before pulling out a wand and casting a locking spell on it.

"Idiots," said Tonks as she changed back to normal.

She then looked around and listened to the sounds of rioting going on in the distance, her mind going a thousand miles a second as she tried to understand just what the hell was going on.

Tonks had gone to use the loo when she first felt something off. It wasn't cold anymore. She could no longer feel the presence of the dementors. Then the wards came down and all hell broke lose.

She had managed to stun the first few prisoners as they escaped from their sections of the towering prison. But when their numbers quickly grew beyond what she was capable of dealing with on her own, she turned and ran. Her first stop was the guardroom, where she spotted someone in a black cloak walking out, a bloody dagger in one hand and a wand in the other.

Realizing that this wasn't some kind of accident, but a full on attack and jailbreak, Tonks turned and ran the other way. Unfortunately, it was into the three chuckle heads she had just locked in a storage closet full of the striped robes they gave to the prisoners when they arrived.

Now that she had a few moments to think, she sent a patronus message to Madam Bones. She needed to know what was going on, so reinforcements could arrive. She just hoped that it was sooner rather than later.

OoOoOoOoOoO

It was a chaos of spell fire in the village of Hogsmeade as the two sides dueled each other. Despite being outnumbered, the Death Eaters were holding their own. Thankfully, by this point, most of the people from the village had either fled up to the castle, or were safely inside the only place warded against this kind of attack. The Hog's Head.

"What's wrong old man?" Rodolphus asked. "Can't handle the might of a powerful pureblood like me?"

"Powerful?" asked Flitwick with a laugh. "You forget that I taught you. I remember you barely being able to levitate a feather in your first year."

Rodolphus snarled at the charms professor and sent a cutting curse at him, which the wizard of small stature easily rolled out of the way from.

Dumbledore then sent a binding curse at Roldolphus, only for the man to block it with a shield spell.

"Damn it Albus," said Flitwick as he cast a blasting charm at Rodolphus. "Enough with trying to subdue him."

"I refuse to harm or kill someone," Dumbledore said.

"I don't," said Rodolphus, who sent out of blast of acidic fire from his wand.

Dumbledore conjured a shield, however this dark spell passed through the shield like it wasn't there, and hit Dumbledore in the arm, causing the man to cry out in pain as it slowly ate away at his robes and flesh on his right arm.

Flitwick growled in rage, showing his sharp goblin teeth, before he cast a spell turning the ground beneath Rodolphus into quicksand, which sucked the Death Eater down to his knees instantly. He then cast a cutting curse, slicing off his wand hand before blasting the wound with fire, cauterizing the wound.

"You fucking half-breed piece of shite," Rodolphus screamed. "I'll fucking kill you for this."

Flitwick just smiled before he balled up his fist and punched Rodolphus in the face as hard as he could, breaking the mans nose and knocking him out cold.

"You talk too much," Flitwick said before he rushed over to Dumbledore.

Meanwhile, Sirius and Remus were trading spells back and forth with Bellatrix, who just cackled madly.

"This isn't working," Sirius said. "I have no idea how she's doing it, holding her own. When I got out of Azkaban, I was as weak as a kitten for a week. And here she is, hours out and still dueling like it was thirteen years ago."

"That's because I'm better than you dear cousin," Bellatrix said in a singsong voice before she started laughing again.

Remus was perplexed by this as well. It was then that he had an idea.

"Hey Padfoot, remember sixth year when we pranked you on that date you had with that Ravenclaw?" asked Remus.

"You mean…" Sirius started to say, when his eyes went wide. "No."

"Sorry mate," Remus said. "It's the only way."

Remus then cast a spell on Sirius, causing all of his clothes to vanish.

Bellatrix suddenly went quiet as she stared at her naked cousin. This gave Remus the opening he needed to stun the insane woman.

"You fucking arsehole," Sirius shouted as he stood there in the middle of Hogsmeade as naked as the day he was born.

"You'll get over it," Remus said as he conjured a robe and tossed it to his friend. He then looked around and his face paled. "Oh no."

"What?" asked Sirius, who turned to see Flitwick levitating Dumbledore towards them, his body encased in a field of magic.

"What happened?" Remus asked.

"Some type of dark curse," Flitwick said. "I need to get him up to the Hospital Wing right away."

"I'll go with you," said Remus.

"What about James?" asked Flitwick.

"I think he's alright," Sirius said as he pointed to where James stood over a bloody and beaten Severus Snape.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Five Minutes Ago…

James and Snape each fire a blasting curse at the other at the same time. The spells collided mid flight, causing them to explode and send both casters flying backwards nearly ten feet.

Both men were quick to their feet and started trading spells, ducking and dodging as quickly as they could.

"Give it up Snape," said James. "You're not going to win this time."

"Oh, I think I will," said Snape. "And when I do, I will stand triumphant over your lifeless body. I will watch as poor Lily weeps over your broken corpse just before I kill your son and have my way with her."

Snape landed a cutting curse on James' left leg, causing him to grunt in pain as he fell to the ground.

"How does that sound Potter?" asked Snape. "The last thoughts you will have before you die will be of me. Naked. Thrusting. Lovely, lovely Lily writhing under me in pleasure."

James howled in rage as he got to his feet and charged at Snape as best as he could.

This surprised the no longer former Death Eater, as he just stood there as James tackled him to the ground and started to repeatedly punch him in the face. James could feel his magic being channeled through his arms and into his fists, but paid it no mind as he felt nothing but rage. The first punch connected with Snape's nose, causing it to shatter and gush blood. Next, James punched him in the eye so hard, his eyeball burst, leaving the former potions teacher with only one eye. A strong right followed and shattered his jaw.

It was only when Snape started to gurgle on his own blood, did James back off and slowly get to his feet.

"You alright mate?" Sirius cautiously asked.

James nodded his head slowly as he looked down at what he had done, a sick feeling growing in his stomach.

"The others?" he hollowly asked.

"Moony and Flitwick are fine," said Sirius. "As am I."

"And Albus?" James asked.

"Rodolphus hit him with a nasty bit of magic," said Sirius. "It burned and melted the skin from his right arm. If he makes it… When he makes it, I don't think he'll have that arm anymore."

"Damn it Sirius, how the bloody hell did this happen?" asked James. "They were supposed to be locked up in Azkaban."

"I don't know," said Sirius. "But I don't think they got out the way I did. After my name was cleared, I told Amelia how I escaped and she had anti-animagus wards erected over the entire island."

"We need to find out what happened and how many more escaped," said James.

"I'll go the Ministry and find out," said Sirius.

"I'll go with you," said James.

"No, you're going back to the castle," said Sirius.

"I don't need to see Madam Pomfrey," said James.

"I'm not talking about that you dolt," said Sirius. "Lily? Harry? Those names ring a bell? They're going to be worried sick about you. And what do you think Lily will do when she finds out that after this fight, you rushed off into possibly another one?"

"She'd kill me," James said as he lowered his head, mentally kicking himself for not thinking of his family first.

"If you're lucky," said Sirius. "So go and let them know you're alright while I go and see what is happening. I'll send a patronus message as soon as I find anything out."

"Just be careful," said James, giving his brother in all but blood a quick hug.

"Of course I wont," Sirius said with a cocky grin before he disapparated away.

James started to run, and then stopped as he shock his head and laughed.

"Guess I should probably bring you lot with me," James said to the three unconscious Death Eaters.

After making sure each of them were bound and secured with heavy chains and had their snapped wands in his pocket, he levitated them up to the castle.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter Twenty One**

"Why the hell didn't anybody wake me up for the fight?" Moody asked as he stomped into the Hospital Wing. "Death Eaters show up on our doorstep, and not a single one of you thinks of old Mad-Eye? Why the hell is everyone so quiet?"

"It's Albus," McGonagall said as she glanced at the curtained off area. "He's… He's…"

"He's dying," Remus said from where sat, his head hung low.

"What?" Moody asked, surprised. "How?"

"An acidic rotting curse," Flitwick said. "Albus and I were dueling Rodolphus LeStrange."

"Please tell me you killed the bastard," Moody growled.

"No," said James as he walked into the Hospital Wing along with Lily, who was practically glued to his side. "Him, Bellatrix, and Snape are all chained up in an empty classroom in the dungeon. I have Hagrid watching the door."

"You left them alive?" Moody asked.

"I did," said James. "Well, mostly."

James was still feeling ill for what he had done to Snape in a fit of blind rage.

Moody turned and started to leave.

"Where are you going?" asked Remus.

"To remedy the situation," said Moody.

"Alastor, no," McGonagall said as both James and Remus moved to stop him.

"No what?" Moody barked. "They're fucking Death Eaters. One of them has all but killed one of the greatest wizards that has ever lived. I'm not going to stand by and watch as they just chuck them back into Azkaban when they should have been tossed through the veil to begin with. And that brings up another question. Just how the hell did they get out of Azkaban?"

"We don't know," said James. "Sirius went to the Ministry to find out."

OoOoOoOoOoO

To say that the Department of Magical Law Enforcement was in chaos would be an understatement. Aurors were popping in and out from the emergency apparation area, some alone and others with recaptured prisoners.

"Merlin's fucking nut sack!" Amelia shouted as she stormed out of her office. "Does anybody have a report on how the fuck these arseholes escaped?"

"We're still trying to find that out," Kingsley Shacklebolt said as he dragged a bound prisoner past her and towards the quickly filling up holding cells.

"What about the team I sent to the prison?" she asked.

"They just sent word," John Dawlish said from his desk. "They've got the entry way, guard station and quarters in their control. The rest of the prison is still under control of the inmates."

"What about the aurors on duty there?" Amelia asked.

"Dead," Dawlish said. "All of them but one dead."

"And the one?" she asked.

"Missing," he said.

"Who?" she asked.

"Cadet Tonks," he said.

Amelia nodded and internally let out a sigh of relief. If not for the patronus message from the young witch, they probably still wouldn't know about the mass breakout. Especially since the warning system that should have alerted her department had failed for some reason She just hopped that they could get her out of there safely.

"Amelia," someone said, and she turned to see Sirius Black walking towards her.

"Black, now is not the time," she said as she turned to head back into her office.

"I think it is," Sirius said. "We've got a huge problem."

"If it's about the mass breakout, obviously we know," she said, gesturing around the very busy office.

"Mass breakout?" asked Sirius. "We thought it was just the three of them."

"Three of them?" asked Amelia.

"Rodolphus and Bellatrix LeStrange and Severus Snape," said Sirius. "They attacked Hogsmeade."

"Hogsmeade?" asked Amelia. "I was told that it was just some kids pulling a prank. That's why I only sent a couple of aurors."

"I hate to break it to you, but those aurors didn't make it," said Sirius. "Not to mention some of the villagers and students were killed as well."

"Fuck," Amelia said as she turned and punched the wall, hurting her hand in the process. "Is there any good news today?"

"We captured them," Sirius said.

"Don't bullshite me Sirius," Amelia said.

"No bullshite," said Sirius. "All three of them are chained up in the school."

Amelia practically collapsed into a nearby chair as she breathed out a sigh of relief. The LeStrange's were two of the most dangerous prisoners in all of Azkaban. She remembered hearing stories about how they had killed a half dozen inmates on their first day being locked up with their bare hands, just to show everyone that they could.

"Where is she?" Fudge demanded as he walked into the DMLE along with his Under Secretary, Delores Umbridge. "Madam Bones, where are you?"

"Great," Amelia groaned. "Just what I need, another pain in my ass."

"There you are," Fudge said as he pushed his way past Sirius and stood in front of her. "What in the devil is happening? I'm getting reports of a Death Eater attack in Hogsmeade. Rumors of dementors showing up all over the place. And now as I walked in here, I find out that there has been a mass break out from Azkaban."

Fudge then noticed Sirius standing there.

"Black," he said. "This is your doing, isn't it? I knew we shouldn't have pardoned you. You helped them all escape, didn't you? Confess now, and I promise the courts will go easy on you."

Sirius had a look of disbelief on his face as he looked at Amelia and asked, "Is he usually this stupid, or did he take special pills this morning?"

"How dare you," Umbridge said as she got right up in Sirius' face, which is to say, she stood a good foot shorter than him and gave him a shove with her rotund girth. "That is the Minister for Magic you are talking about. You will show him the respect he deserves."

"And you are?" Sirius asked.

"I am Del…" she started to say when Sirius cut her off.

"It doesn't matter who you are," he said, turning his back to her and looking at Amelia, who he could tell was trying her hardest not to burst out laughing. "Anyways, as I was saying before we were so annoyingly interrupted. We have the three Death Eaters captured and locked up at Hogwarts. So when you can spare a few aurors, I'm sure everyone there would appreciate them coming by and collecting the garbage."

"Once Kingsley is done locking up the escaped prisoner he caught, I'll send him and a few others by to collect them in the hour," Amelia said.

"I'll be going as well," Fudge said.

"Minister, I don't think that's a good idea," Amelia said.

"Well, I think it's a brilliant idea Cornelius," Umbridge said. "We'll bring the press along as well, so we can get some pictures into the Daily Prophet right away. Show everyone that _you_ have the situation under control, and that there is nothing to fear."

"Marvelous idea," Fudge said with a smile. He could already see his approval rating jumping up at least ten points from this. Not to mention that being there as three escaped Death Eaters are recaptured could easily help him in his re-election. "Amelia, I expect you to have your aurors waiting for us in the Atrium so we can all head to Hogwarts together."

"Fine," Amelia said in an almost growl. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have escaped prisoners on the lose and a prison to take back."

"About that," Umbridge said. "How exactly did this happen? Isn't it the responsibility of the DMLE to ensure the prison is secure?"

"It is," Amelia said.

"And as the head of the DMLE, how could you allow this to happen?" Umbridge asked.

"I didn't allow this to happen," Amelia said in a firm tone. "And how dare you accuse me of such a thing. Someone shut down the wards and released the hold on the dementors. When I find out who it was, if they are still alive, I swear on my magic that I will personally toss them through the veil."

"That all depends," Umbridge said.

"Depends on what?" asked Amelia.

"On whether or not you still are employed by the Ministry when those responsible are caught," Umbridge said.

"Now, now," Fudge said with a nervous little chuckle. "Let's not do anything rash now. Amelia, I can assure you that right now, we have no plans to dismiss you over this, nor do we blame you for what happened. But please, do find the ones responsible as quickly as possible. The sooner we can put this behind us, the better."

Fudge and Umbridge turned and left the DMLE, leaving Sirius and Amelia standing there.

"He really is an arse, isn't he?" Sirius said.

"You have no idea," said Amelia.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Draco Malfoy sat huddled in the corner of his cell as he listened to the sounds of the escaped inmates getting closer and silently thanking whoever had decided that the squib section of the prison should have doors on each cell. That door was the only thing keeping him safe from the screaming and insane prisoners who were calling out for the blood and flesh of those they came across.

Of course, that door could only protect him if it remained closed and locked. A lock that was a simple touch rune just outside the door. The same touch rune that one of the insane inmates just triggered, unlocking and opening Draco's cell door.

The last Malfoy on the planet let out a whimper as a group of the insane inmates slowly entered his cell.

"Mmmmmm, just the way I like my meat," one of the inmates said. "Young and tender."

Draco closed his eyes as they advanced on him. His last thoughts as the makeshift knife cut into his flesh was to curse the day he had ever met Harry Potter.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Tonks slowly made her way through the halls of the prison, doing her best to avoid the roaming packs of prisoners who had decided that instead of fleeing for freedom to turn it into their own personal lawless playground.

While sneaking around, she had seen some truly disturbing and disgusting sights. Prisoners beating on each other, raping each other, and a few that had been driven completely mad from their years here had resorted to cannibalism.

Tonks wasn't religious, but after seeing that, she had prayed that she would make it out of there alive.

"Clear," someone said.

"Clear," a second voice said.

"No way," Tonks whispered to herself. She peeked around a corner and saw one of the most beautiful sights she had ever seen.

Aurors wearing commando robes.

"Don't fire," she practically shouted as she rushed out to meet them.

"Hold it right there," one of the aurors said. "Hands in the air."

Tonks stopped moving and raising her hands above her head.

"I'm cadet auror Nymphadora Tonks," Tonks said. "I was stationed here when all hell broke lose."

"Parker?" one of the aurors said and a second auror pulled out a small roll of parchment, which he looked over.

"There's a Tonks on the list," Parker said. "Says she's a metamorph."

"Right," said Tonks. "That's me. Watch."

Tonks then changer her hair color and length before she then made her nose grow a foot long.

"Okay then," the lead auror said as he relaxed his stance a bit, the others with him following suit.

Tonks lowered her hands and slowly walked over to them as she breathed a sigh of relief and returned her nose to its normal length and made her hair short and giving it the bubblegum pink color that she preferred.

"Harold Hargrove," the lead auror said.

"You guys are a sight for sore eyes," said Tonks.

"I bet," said Harold. "Can you tell us what happened here?"

"I don't know for sure," said Tonks. "I went to the loo and just as I was finishing up, I felt the wards fall. When I went back to the guard station, I saw someone dressed in a black hooded cloak with a bloody dagger in hand. I didn't know how many was with this person, and when I started to hear the inmates starting to run around and shouting, I ran to find a place to hide."

"Smart thinking," Harold said. "First rule when you're in a situation like this is to stay alive. As I understand, you're the one who sent out the patronus message about the break out. If you had tried to play the hero and gotten killed, we'd all probably still be in the dark about this."

"How bad is it out there?" Tonks asked.

"Bad," said Harold. "But nothing that we won't be able to deal with. Seems like most of the prisoners decided to remain here. The ones that left, only a small handful are actually causing problems. The rest are running and hiding, probably going to try and slip out of the country. The real issue is going to be the dementors. They're scattered all over the country. But right now, that isn't something you should worry about."

"Why not?" asked Tonks.

"On top of retaking this prison, we have orders to get any surviving aurors out of here, so…" Harold said as he pulled a small rubber duck out of his pocket and handed it to Tonks.

"Portus," he said as he tapped it with his wand, portkeying Tonks back to the DMLE.

"Alright team," Harold said as he turned to address the aurors with him. "Time to clean house."

OoOoOoOoOoO

Cornelius Fudge walked with a purpose as he led the group of aurors and reporters up the dirt road towards Hogwarts. He had on his best politicians face as he prepared to have his picture taken for the Daily Prophet when the Death Eaters were taken into custody by the aurors. He also wanted to get his picture taken with James Potter, who he had heard played a key role in stopping the Death Eaters. If that didn't get his approval rating up, nothing would, as the Potter's were still the talk of the town.

The only downside to this moment was that his Under Secretary couldn't be with him. However, she had said she had a personal emergency to deal with, and what kind of man would he be if he didn't allow her to take care of it.

"Minister Fudge," Karkaroff said as he stormed up to the man as he approached the castle. "You have much to answer for. Three of my students were killed today."

"Igor," Fudge said nervously as he noticed the reporters taking notes as they listened. "My deepest and sincere apologies for the loss of those under your care. I promise you, those responsible today will be met with swift justice by our courts."

"Phah," Karkaroff scoffed. "Your courts are nothing but a joke."

"You'd know that best, wouldn't you Igor," Moody said as he stepped out from inside the castle. "It wasn't that long ago that you played the court system in order to free yourself after being caught as a Death Eater."

"I did no such thing," Karkaroff said. "I was an innocent man in the wrong place at the wrong time is all. Besides, I aided your Ministry when I gave them the names of those I knew were Death Eaters."

"And then fled the country to hide from those that you didn't name," said Moody. "Tell me, since you've come for the tournament, have you been sleeping with your wand under your pillow."

"Gentlemen," Fudge said as he chuckled nervously. "This isn't the time to be bringing up past squabbles. Alastor, if you would kindly show us to where the escaped prisoners are being held."

"Yeah, about that," said Moody. "They're dead."

"What?" Fudge practically shouted in shock. "How?"

"I did it," Moody said with a grin that was twisted by his scared face.

"You what?" Fudge asked as the reporters furiously wrote this all down and the photographer took a picture.

"I killed them," Moody said. "Cutting curse. Sliced their heads clean off. Of course, everyone else inside is furious with me for it. But what can I say. They deserved far worse."

"You had no right," Fudge said as he pointed at the man.

"Actually, I do," said Moody. He then pulled out a crumpled up sheet of parchment from inside his coat. "As you can see here, during the war when Bagnold was Minister, she gave the aurors special permission to do whatever was necessary to stop any Death Eater. Not many chose to do so, but me… Well, I have no problem putting down a rabid dog. And since the order was never repealed, I kept mine, just incase I ever needed it. And what do you know, today I did."

Fudge practically ripped the parchment from Moody's hand and read it over, trying to find something on there that stated that it was invalid. Unfortunately, his predecessor hadn't bothered with such a thing, making what the former auror had done completely legal.

"Very well then," Fudge said in a defeated tone as he handed the parchment back. "However, I would prefer it if in the future you consult with me before taking such actions."

"I promise nothing," Moody said with another grin before he took a sip from his flask as he walked away.

Fudge then turned to the aurors and said, "Your services are no longer needed here."

"Obviously," said Kingsley. Then he and the rest of the aurors turned and headed for the gates so they could apparate back to the Ministry and get back to hunting the escaped prisoners.

"Minister," one of the reporters said. "Are you condoning the actions Alastor Moody has taken today?"

"Condone?" said Fudge. "My word, no. I believe in a fair and just system. And despite the fact that the three who had been executed were in fact Death Eaters and had been witnessed to have taken lives today, they still deserved to be tried before the court for their actions before such sentencing takes place. However, I cannot punish former auror Alastor Moody for his actions, as former Minister Bagnold sadly forgot to write into her orders a stipulation that such actions would end after the war. Something I do plan to rectify just as soon as I get back to my office. Now if you shall excuse me, I wish to check on the state of the students and staff of this fine learning establishment."

Fudge turned and quickly walked into the castle, leaving the reporters outside and unattended.

"So, what now?" one of them asked.

"I don't know about you," another reporter said, "but since we're here, I'm getting quotes from students who were in Hogsmeade."

"But hasn't Dumbledore banned the press from the school?" another reporter asked.

"Which is why I plan to act quickly before I'm tossed out on my rear," the second reporter said as he rushed off to find someone willing to talk.

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Voldemort sat in his chair as he stared into the fire burning in the hearth in front of him.

"What news do you bring me?" he asked as someone wearing a hooded black cloak walked in.

They kneeled down in front of the frail dark wizard and removed their hood.

"I bring good news my lord," Umbridge said. "The Ministry is in chaos. The escaped prisoners and the dementors are causing a panic."

"You have done me well," Voldemort said.

"Unfortunately, I must also report some bad news," Umbridge said.

"Oh?" asked Voldemort as his small hand toyed with his wand.

"Bellatrix and Rodolphus LeStrange as well as Severus Snape were recaptured after they attacked Hogsmeade," Umbridge said. "However, I have it on good authority that many were killed, and even heard rumor that Albus Dumbledore was gravely injured."

"I see," Voldemort said. "Their recapture matters not. Once I return to power, I will free them once again. And as for Dumbledore… Remind me to pay a visit to his grave after I take over. I would like to pay my respects."


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter Twenty Two**

It had been five days since the attack on Hogsmeade, and those days had been long. There had been nearly three dozen funerals for not only students of all three schools, but also residents of Hogsmeade as well. It had taken two days for Azkaban to be retaken, and by the time the dust had settled, nearly seventy percent of the prisoners had been killed, either by the aurors sent in or by the prisoner's own hands. The dementors had all but vanished, leaving everyone wondering where the creatures had disappeared to and hoping that wherever it was, they remained there till the end of time and a few extra days beyond.

However, all of that was almost forgotten when word had spread. Albus Dumbledore had died.

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"You doing alright?" James asked his wife as he finished pulling on his black dress robes.

"I'm fine," Lily said as she just stared at her reflection in the mirror.

"Okay," said James. "Now would you like to try that again and actually make it believable?"

"Of course I'm not alright," Lily said, sounding frustrated. "I'm a horrible person."

"No you're not," James quickly said as he walked over to his wife and held her close.

"I am," Lily said, on the verge of crying. "I was a complete bitch to him. He did what he thought was best, and I all but crucified him for it. He died thinking that I hated him."

"That's not true," James said. "Albus… He was a great wizard, but he was also a flawed man. It was something he knew quite well. There was no way he could have foreseen that your sister would allow any harm to befall her own blood. Hell, even I could never imagine Petunia would let it happen, and I knew her personally. Can you say that you could have pictured it happening?"

"Of course not," Lily said.

"And as for the things that have happened in the school," James said. "Spending time with the Board of Governors… Well, the majority of them are all sanctimonious jackasses who only care about their own interests. If he hadn't gone along with their wishes, they would have demanded his resignation and put someone else in charge that more than likely would have been a puppet for Malfoy. The only reason I pushed for him to be sacked is because I knew that with me on the Board, I could ensure someone else that would care for the students would be placed within the position."

"I know," Lily said, however that didn't stop her from partially blaming herself. Practically since the day they came back, she had held a deep burning hatred for the old man.

"So, let's get through today," James said, "and then we can move onto more important things."

"Harry," Lily said, nodding her head.

"Exactly," he said. "We have to help him get through this tournament, and then once this whole mess is over, we can watch our son grow up and be happy and fall in love and start a family of his own. Not to mention our own little ones on the way."

James gently rubbed his hand across his wife's growing belly, which brought a small smile to her face.

"We still haven't even talked about names for them yet," said Lily.

"I think we can wait a month or two before having to worry about that," said James. "For now, we have a funeral to attend."

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Harry stood in front of the full length mirror in the forth years boys dorm of Gryffindor tower as he pulled on his plain black funeral robes.

"I still can't believe he's dead," Harry said.

"Me either," said Neville as he pulled on his own robes.

"I don't get why you two are all mopey," Ron said from his bed where he was reading the latest issue of Martin the Muggle. "You guys get the skip classes today because you get to go while the rest of us are stuck here."

"What the bloody hell is your problem?" Neville asked with a scowl on his face as he turned to look at the red head. "A man has died. Not only that, but died protecting people. If not for Dumbledore being there along with the others, a shite load more people could have been killed that day, your brothers and sister included."

"Oh please," scoffed Ron. "We all know that Harry would have rushed in and saved the day."

Ron then set down his comic and sat up as he looked at the green eyed wizard.

"But that does raise an interesting question," Ron said. "Why didn't you try and help stop them?"

"What?" asked a confused Harry.

"Come off it Potter," said Ron. "We all know you have a thing for saving people."

"Harry did," said Neville. "He lead all those people out of the village and back here to the castle."

"Yeah right," said Ron as he stood up. "I think we all know the truth."

"And what truth would that be?" asked Harry.

"You were a coward," said Ron. "You were afraid and ran away. It's only because other people ran in the same direction as you that everyone thinks you some big hero."

"You dirty son of a…" Harry started to say, only to stop when Neville punched Ron in the jaw.

"Mr. Longbottom," McGonagall said with a very stern look as she walked into the room, witnessing what had just happened.

"But Professor," Neville started to say.

"You will serve one week of detention for Professor Sprout for physically assaulting a fellow student," McGonagall said.

"But Ron said…" Neville tried to interject.

"I heard exactly what Mr. Weasley said," said McGonagall. "Which is why as interim Headmistress of this school, I am making the decision to have Mr. Weasley removed."

"What?" Harry, Ron, and Neville all exclaimed at the same time.

"You can't do that," said Ron.

"I can and I am," said McGonagall. "Mr. Weasley, your behavior this year has been atrocious. And while Albus has allowed you to remain here, I am not. Pack your things. As soon as I return from the funeral, I will be personally escorting you home and informing your parents of the reason why."

McGonagall started to leave and then stopped.

"And do not attempt to try and run away," she said. "I will be having the school elves monitoring you until I come back."

Before Ron decided to explode, both Harry and Neville decided to head down to the common room and wait for Hermione, only to find her sitting on the couch, waiting for them. She to was wearing a plain set of black robes for the funeral.

"You two alright?" Hermione asked when she saw them.

"Um… well," Neville started to say.

"We'll tell you on the way down to meet my parents," Harry said, not wanting everyone to overhear and allow the Hogwarts rumor mill a fresh bit of gossip. They would eventually find out when Ron was gone, which would be for the best as no one would be able to exacerbate the situation with the youngest Weasley male.

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The village of Godric's Hallow was known for many things. It was the birthplace of one of the four founders of Hogwarts. It was one of only three villages in all of Britain where muggles and magicals lived together and muggles knew about magic. It was the home to many well known witches and wizards including Bathilda Bagshot, and at one time, the Potter's as well as the Dumbledore's. And of course, it had also became famous as the place where the dark wizard Voldemort had finally met his end.

Today it was getting another footnote in history as the final resting place of the second to last member of the Dumbledore line.

The Ministry had wanted to make a grand spectacle of Albus Dumbledore's funeral, saying that a man of his stature deserved such a parting farewell. However, his brother had stepped in and told the Ministry that they could go to hell. This was a time for family and friends, and he would be damned if he would let them turn his brother's death into a three ring circus.

Which is why there were barely over a dozen people gathered in the graveyard behind the little church to say their final farewells to the man.

"What can I say about my brother that hasn't been said countless times before," Aberforth said as he stood next to the solid oak casket. "He was a great man. A man of vision and talent. But he was human, just like the rest of us. He was foolish in his youth, making stupid decisions that came with a heavy price… A price that he spent every single day since trying to pay. Not many know this, but Albus was once friends with Gellert Grindelwald. Gellert transferred to Hogwarts for his final year, and they shared a connection. They shared a dream to change the world. But one night, Albus began to see that Gellert was willing to do anything to achieve that dream. To cross lines that my brother refused to cross. I walked in on them arguing and tried to intervene. That just made the matter worse, and eventually wands were drawn…."

Tears started to roll down the mans cheek and into his beard.

"To this day, we don't know who cast the spell, but one of them struck and killed our sister," Aberforth continued as he looked over at the headstone next to where Albus was being buried. "That's how Albus got a broken nose. I punched him at her funeral and said I never wanted to talk to him again… I blamed him for her death. And I think he blamed himself as well. That's why he eventually went after Grindelwald towards the end of the second Great War. Not to put a stop to a dark wizard who was threatening the world, but for revenge… But in the end, Albus showed just how great he was. He refused to kill him. I couldn't have done it. Let him live. But Albus did. Until his last day, he continued to refuse to take a life. Because to him, life truly was a precious gift. If any of you take anything from the way my brother lived, take that."

Aberforth then leaned down and kissed the closed lid of the casket before turned and walking away.

Professor McGonagall was next to step up and say something. She talked about his great work as a teacher and as the head of the school.

A few others that had known Dumbledore over the years came up and said something before finally, Harry got up from his seat and stood next to the casket.

"I haven't really known the Headmaster as long as pretty much everyone else here," Harry said. "The first time I ever saw him was his Chocolate Frog card on the train at the beginning of my first year. Then that night, after the sorting and when the Welcoming Feast started, I thought him quite mad when he started speaking nonsense. I would later find out that was his special phrase to let the school elves know that it was time to serve dinner to everyone. Though, the first time I ever actually had a conversation with Professor Dumbledore was a few nights after Christmas that year… I, um… I was sort of sneaking around the castle at night, and ending up in a classroom that was empty except for a mirror. But it wasn't a normal mirror. Whenever I looked into it, I could see my family standing behind me. Mum. Dad. Grandparents and aunts and uncles I had never met.

"Night after night I went back, just so I could see what the family I never had looked like. Then one night, while I was sitting on the floor, wrapped up in my inv… In my cloak, Professor Dumbledore appeared. I think he was there the whole time that night, waiting for me because he knew I was going there. He told me that the mirror only showed what one truly desired. Which is why I kept seeing my family. Professor Dumbledore then told me that it never does well for one to dwell on the past, and to always look forward towards the future. And he was right."

Harry then let out a little chuckle and said, "I remember that just before I left that room that night, I asked him what he saw when he looked into the mirror… Socks, he said. He said one can never have too many pairs of socks."

This brought about a small chuckle from everyone gathered. Everyone except for Aberforth, who knew what Dumbledore really saw in the mirror. Their sister forgiving him.

"Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore was an odd man," Harry continued a moment later. "And despite some of the mistakes he made in his life regarding me, I will always remember him as not only a great man, but also as the man who helped bring me back into the world I was born in to. Because if not for that, not only would I have never met the people who have became my best friends…"

Both Hermione and Neville smiled slightly at the comment.

"… But I also would never have gotten my parents back."

Harry then quickly rushed over to his parents, and the three of them shared a very tight hug and started to cry.

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 **A/N** : A short chapter, I know. But it just felt like the right place to end it.


End file.
